Viaticus
by lyart
Summary: AU. Yao is just a merchant now—he doesn’t want to be roped into crazy tasks that could end in death. So, of course he gets roped into exactly one such task. At least he’s not alone. Though, whether that’s a good thing or not remains to be seen.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

Damned _bandits_!

Yao clutched his precious parcel closer to his chest as he darted over the dry, loose ground, stone skittering under his feet. He paused behind a tall, craggy rock, panting for breath and wiping sweat from his forehead. The sun beat down from above, providing no mercy even in a situation as he found himself in. His chest heaved as he swallowed down air and his dark eyes narrowed.

He'd been on route to the great city of Dorado for a customary delivery. He was only a short distance from the gates leading into it when the bandits had come out of _nowhere_.

They'd shot his horse, leaving him to dash away out of fear for being killed himself. His weapon had been trapped under the beast's body (he felt a touch of regret even now for the poor creature's fate), leaving him without a means to defend himself.

He whispered feverishly under his breath, a sort-of prayer for protection. Maybe he could make a break for the gates. No other choice, really—he heard the bandits' horses approaching, their loud voices ringing in the air. Words that were half addressed to him, half addressed to one another. Strong and wheedling, threatening. There was no doubt that they intended to see him dead, intended to see his body looted of everything valuable he had on his person.

"Damn," Yao hissed as he burst out from behind the rock. Bullets pattered after him, aggressive whoops rising up from the bandits. They figured that they had him on the run. And, they did. He hadn't a chance at all from this distance, not when he was trying to protect the package he was obligated to deliver.

There was something in Yao that refused to let him go back on something like his work. He was a proud, stubborn, and _unyielding_ one. To make him yield, well, that took something very strong indeed.

He had received this order in question via messenger bird (a surprising thing, as normally his services were sent for by mail). It conveyed to him the urgency of this particular order, written in a sloppy hand he could only guess was rushed out of panic. It was life or death, the letter had said. What they had asked for told him this full well. So he had made the necessary arrangements, retrieved the needed item in question, and fixed himself up for the long journey. It had been a while since he left Ganmu.

But, this… He couldn't believe this had to happen _now_, at all times, when he was right in the middle of a job! How could he give up now, leaving whomever had addressed the letter to him (it had been so scrawled he couldn't even make out the letters) to spend forever waiting? No! Yao refused to die here, in the wastes! What a pitiable death that would be, when—

There was a shot and then a 'thud' behind him. He paused, looking swiftly over one shoulder, past the barrier of rock he'd found himself behind. One of the bandits was still and unmoving on the ground, his horse racing away. His companions had frozen, looking around frantically for the culprit who had taken down one of their own.

Another gunshot, and a bandit went spinning backwards, shoulder spurting blood, cry wrenched from his throat. Yao scanned the dusty, rocky landscape and it didn't take him long to find it. A metallic glint higher up, amongst a pile of stones. Nearly invisible except to the practiced eye—such as Yao's.

The gun barrel jerked slightly and the remaining bandit went tumbling off his horse with a pained howl, leg oozing viscous blood, the dry ground absorbing it greedily.

"Good shot!"

Up in the pile of rocks, a young man with pale hair stood up slowly. He pulled up his tinted goggles, blinking against the sun's light and shouldering his rifle as the dry wind tugged and pulled at his hair. The voice that had called to him came from a tall, wild-haired man slipping out soundlessly from behind a twisted, sand-worn pillar of rock.

"Ah," Yao began. The blond man came skidding down the slope, sending dust flying up everywhere. A soft 'oof' but at last he straightened himself, looked over at Yao with curiosity. Clearly, the merchant wasn't their target, but nevertheless he was tense and on guard, his heart hammering fiercely in his chest. "Tha—"

"Are you hurt?" the blond man asked, kindly.

"No. Thank you." Sure, Yao had scrapes and bruises, but those were minor. He slowly let himself ease, though he didn't let his eyes stray far from the two strangers before him, taking them in. They were garbed as wanderers were wont to be; practicality rather than fashion, and streaked with a liberal amount of dirt and grime. Somehow, Yao thought it didn't quite suit the wavy-haired young man with the rather kind eyes.

"Sure." The blond man smiled at him, apparently reassured with that. He pulled a set of glasses from his dusty coat and set them on his nose, looking through them narrowly, taking in Yao's features. The merchant took this time to dust himself off slowly, knowing full well what the young man would be seeing; a short, slim and dark man, colourful sashes the merchants so often favoured (though why, Yao couldn't say) around his middle, and over a shoulder.

"Matthew! Come and help me tie them up, will you? They keep moving around; it's annoying."

"Oh! Coming!" Attention taken away from Yao at last, 'Matthew' jogged over to his companion, who was tying up the surviving bandits with a long cord of rope. Pulling tight and earning pained, breathless gasps from the bandits in question.

Yao watched them, tilting his head slowly, biting back a frown. "Bounty hunters?" he asked.

"You're still here?" asked the taller man with the wild hair incredulously. He looked at Yao with more interest than before, as though he'd expected him to dash away the moment the two of them had shown themselves properly. "Yeah, we're bounty hunters. Why?"

"I'll repay you," Yao said simply, drawing himself up with all the authority that he could muster. "You saved my life." That was something he could appreciate; much as it rankled at his pride to admit. In days past, _he'd_ be off saving lives and—no, no, his life was the simple one now.

He chalked it up to old age beginning to worm its way in.

"Oh, no," began the blond man, lifting his hands as though about to vehemently insist otherwise.

"We were just hunting the guys," said the other in reluctant agreement. It wasn't in a bounty hunter's nature to turn down payment, of any kind. They eked out a living doing the dangerous work that few others would do, living each day as a day that they could end up dead in one way or another. That the wavy-haired young man had refused was surprising to Yao. "We just happened to save you in the process." He finished tying up the two criminals, each moaning over their respective injury.

'_At least you're not dead, like your friend,'_ Yao thought, his eyes falling on the two men. Then he looked at the two bounty hunters in question, swallowing back any further, real feelings. Of the pride that slammed at him not to offer to pay them in any way, but it was that same pride that told him to do so. "I realise that. Nevertheless, I would've died if you hadn't have come along." Or so he'd say. "I'll repay you as soon as I make my delivery." He gazed at them steadily.

"If you insist…" Matthew said reluctantly.

"Yes." A moment later, Yao added with more truth in it, "I hate to have debts." He hated to owe people, didn't even like to be owed. It made his skin prickle uncomfortably.

"Well, then," said the tall man, "nice to meet you." He was much more cordial all of a sudden (maybe at the promise of a reward?), flashing an easy grin. "I'm Lars, and this is Matthew. Bounty hunters—the best this side of Heldere."

"Wang Yao. Just Yao will do," replied the slim, dark-haired man. "From Ganmu—I'm a merchant."

* * *

END PROLOGUE

* * *

**Glossary  
**Heldere: a dry, rocky country bound on one side by the Leiss Mountains and the Pranm Ocean on the other.  
Dorado: the "golden" city, capital of Heldere.  
Ganmu: a merchant town of Heldere.

**Characters  
**Wang Yao – China  
Lars – the Netherlands  
Matthew – Canada


	2. Chapter One

Chapter one—we haven't gotten into the nitty gritty yet, but we're on our way.  
To have action and conflict, we should have the main players introduced. It'll be chapter three until the action will start.

Pairings you can expect: Korea/China, Netherlands/Canada and many, many more.  
New characters: Im Yong Soo (Korea), Xiang (Hong Kong)

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

**

* * *

  
**

After fetching his possessions from his dead horse—sparing a moment to murmur a few words for its death, Yao walked under the tall, stone arch into Dorado. Lars and Matthew had gone ahead to collect their bounty, but agreed to meet him later at the central square of the town so that he could pay them back.

It gave Yao the time to make his delivery.

Dorado was a trading city, bustling with foreigners and people from every walk of life. Houses were everywhere, of varying styles and sizes—many were brick, with dark slate roofs, though there were more strange and interesting houses the closest you got to the Dorado market. It was the richest city in the country. The monarchy also made their home in the palace, a modestly sized building as compared to the dwellings of royalty in other countries (Bavonia, for example, whose castle was so extravagant Yao had often wondered if they were compensating for something).

The place he was making his delivery to was a squat little out-of-the-way house bordering the main river of Dorado—the Azulusca River. It was made of wood and seemed to be tilted slightly on an angle, like it was tired of being upright for so long. Yao looked at the house uncertainly, checking his map and the address he'd been mailed along with the initial request for the medicine, before approaching it and knocking at the door.

It immediately flew open, making him step back with a surprised sound. A tall, broad-shouldered young man stood in the entranceway. His cheeks were flushed and he let out a noise of excitement as soon as he laid eyes on Yao (or, more specifically, the package held in his arms), lips stretching into a grin, all his teeth showing.

"The medicine!" he shouted. He seized Yao by the arm and yanked him inside. "Come in!"

"Wait, I—" Before he could say anything, the front door was shut firmly behind him, the package was snatched from his hands and the boy was off in a whirlwind of blue, white and black.

Yao winced at the loud clinking and rummaging noises coming from what must have been the kitchen. He stood, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot and taking in the interior of the tiny house. There was a single broad, flat table in the centre of the room, with cushions scattered about it. Everywhere else, there were odd collections of vases or statues or some things that appeared so odd-looking Yao wasn't sure _what_ to call them. The house was like a mixture of a child's playpen and a house belonging to an antique collector.

The doors leading out of the main room were the sliding kind (like his in his apartment in Ganmu). One of them was slightly open and, curious, he edged towards it to peer through the crack.

The room beyond was dark (he caught a smell from it that made his lip curl slightly), and he saw a futon on the floor, a lump curled up under the blankets. If he strained his ears, he could catch the sound of ragged breathing, punctuated by the occasional wet cough.

"'Scuse me, 'scuse me!" hollered the young man as he came bursting out of the kitchen. He edged past Yao and flung the door Yao had been peering past to the side. The tray in his hands had a bowl—steaming faintly and smelling bitter—and a tall glass of water. "Xiang! Xiang!"

He skidded onto the floor next to the prone figure on the futon.

"Aiyah!" Yao yelped when the young man began to shake the lump. "What are you _doing_? That isn't how you treat a sick person! And watch that bowl or you'll knock it over!"

"Eh?" He got a puzzled glance. The figure coughed hoarsely. Cursing himself for being so soft, Yao stepped into the room and knelt by the futon, near the figure's head. Here, he saw it was another young man—his hair was shaggy and dark brown and his cheeks were flushed.

"You sit him up—no shaking like that," Yao told the other as he manoeuvred the sick young man up to rest against his shoulder, propping him upright gently. "Wake up now…"

"_Ohhh_," said the other boy, amazed, "are you good at this kind of thing, brother?" His brown eyes glittered.

"I know how to take care of people," said Yao, a bit crossly. "And don't call me 'brother'. I'm nobody's brother."

The shaggy-haired boy let out a tiny groan, eyelids fluttering. "Yong Soo?" he asked hoarsely.

"Right here, Xiang! I've got your medicine!" exclaimed 'Yong Soo', who promptly looked at Yao for direction. The man sighed, cupping the back of Xiang's head and indicating Yong Soo should pass him a spoonful of the bitter-smelling, warm medicine.

He did so and Yao tilted the spoon to pour the liquid into Xiang's mouth. The sick boy gagged and made to spit it out but Yao clamped his jaw shut with his thumb. He stroked his pale fingers over his throat until Xiang swallowed thickly with a disgusted sound.

"Who…?" he croaked.

"Hush, hush," Yao soothed. "It's time to drink more." Xiang grimaced quietly. "Just trust me."

"…alright."

Yao gave him spoonful by spoonful, Yong Soo bouncing slightly, anxiously, where he sat the entire time. Eventually, the bowl was empty and Yao gestured for water. This Xiang gulped down gratefully and was then lowered down to the futon, a soft breath of something bordering on relief escaping him.

Feeling a familiar rush of familial protectiveness for the poor boy, Yao covered him with the blanket. When Yong Soo made to speak, Yao shushed him and led him out of the room, sliding the door closed behind them with a soft 'click'.

"Let him sleep for the rest of the day. Give him broth—or something light—when he wakes and he should work his way up to solid foods. He should take the medicine every day at the same time for the rest of the week. Keep him in bed and make sure he sleeps."

"Yes, brother!" exclaimed Yong Soo.

"It's Wang Yao," said the man a bit crossly.

"I'm Im Yong Soo. That was my cousin, Xiang!" he said cheerfully. He added—cheekily—after a pause, "Brother."

Seeing as it was no use, Yao made a sound of defeat. Yong Soo went off to rummage in one corner of the room. After a bunch of muffled thumps and mutters, he returned and held out a string of golden coins.

"This is—" Yao began, eyes sharp.

"Sorry if it's not enough!" Yong Soo exclaimed loudly and quieted when Yao shushed him.

"It's more than enough," Yao told him, taking the coins. "I owe you in return."

"No!" Yong Soo winced and lowered his voice hastily. "Keep it."

"Are you sure?" Yao asked and received a furious series of nods. "Very well."

"Xiang will get better, right?"

"Of course."

Yong Soo relaxed visibly, lips smoothing into a smile. "Thanks, brother!"

Yao nodded, a brief smile rising to his face in return. "Then," he said, turning to the door.

"Come here again!" Yong Soo blurted. He received a curious look. "If you're ever passing through! You can stay here!" He grinned broadly at him, folding his overlarge sleeves over each other.

"Thank you." Yao looked at him, closely and with a thoughtful expression, before letting himself out.

* * *

**END CHAPTER ONE**

**

* * *

  
**


	3. Chapter Two

Steadily getting closer to the action. The next chapter is when it all gets started, friends.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

Lars and Matthew were surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly) easy to find in the central square of Dorado, which was bustling with merchants and journeymen dressed in colourful clothes. For one, the duo both had guns (and various other weapons) strapped to their bodies and two, they both were dusty and dirty like they'd just walked out of the wastes (which they had).

Matthew waved to him as he approached, smiling. Lars seemed to be in a good mood as well, jingling something in his pocket, a grin on his face.

"Got your payment?" Lars asked him as he stopped before them. Behind the two of them, water gurgled up to fill the fountain in the middle of the square. The water glinted and splashed, and people would occasionally stop by it to drink with mugs or canteens in their hands.

Yao smiled wryly at Lars. "Hm, yes. Here." He handed the whole string of coins to the man, who weighed them in his palm with a funny look in his eyes, grin fading into a thoughtful frown.

"Fakes?" said Matthew with surprise. Ah, thought Yao, he really does have sharp eyes.

"You've been swindled, friend," Lars said, shaking his head.

"I knew the moment he gave them to me. It was his mistake. It wasn't on purpose."

"You—" Lars began, stopped, and continued disbelievingly, "You _let_ him pay with fake coins?"

"I did. He had no idea. Its okay, this job was to my monetary detriment, but I helped save someone," Yao replied. He groped in one of the many pockets lining his trousers and fished out a seal made of gold, depositing it in Matthew's hand. "This should be sufficient for you two, however."

"Oho!" Lars exclaimed. "Very nice." He eyed Yao. "Much obliged—but why did you have that?"

"To sell, but I'll leave that for you two to do." Yao tightened his ponytail, having avoided the real question. "I'll be on my way."

"Wait!" said Matthew as he turned to go. "You won't be heading back to Ganmu when it's getting dark, will you?" Yao blinked at him. "We can split on an inn room."

"_Matthew_," Lars began in a complaining—almost wheedling—tone, but Matthew silenced him with a look. Yao looked at them bemusedly.

"If that's alright with you, I wouldn't mind at all," he said with a slow nod. Matthew nodded back, cheerfully, while Lars sighed as though something valuable had just been lost to him.

* * *

Yao found out that the two had been bounty hunting for over five years now. Matthew was a sharpshooter—and a damned good one, according to Lars. Lars himself was better with close combat and with the apprehension of their targets. Both of them cooperated to track down their marks, and they avoided killing when they could (but, as was the case earlier, sometimes they had to).

Matthew vaguely said he'd come from far away to Heldere for reasons he didn't talk about. He'd met Lars at a bar and they'd struck up a slow friendship over their drinks. It'd turned into an experimental partnership when they found out they were both bounty hunters. They'd been working together ever since. Lars had come to Heldere from Gleichen, a country constantly in the grips of civil war. Apparently, he was looking for his siblings, who he'd been separated from as a child. He'd gotten a lead that they were somewhere in Heldere, so he was bounty hunting until he could find more information to show him the way to them.

Yao told them of his shop in Ganmu, dealing with sales to retrieving and delivery that could take him across the whole of Heldere. He said he'd done it for quite a while but said nothing about what he'd done before he opened up the shop.

He told them more of the two boys to whom he'd made the delivery. Matthew made an understanding noise when he talked about Xiang, sick with Getit Poisoning. The sharpshooter was sitting on the edge of one of the two beds in the room. Lars lay on it behind him, arms behind his head, looking up at the ceiling (if Yao didn't know any better, he'd say that he was _pouting_).

"So that's why you let that boy pay with fakes," Matthew murmured.

"Yes. Call me soft, but I couldn't bear to take their money from them." Yao looked thoughtfully towards the inn window. He could see the river out of it. "I hope they'll be alright."

"Nurturing type?" Lars asked with a laugh. Yao flushed slightly. "And here I thought all merchants were thieves and swindlers. My apologies."

"It's fine," Yao said with a tiny, amused smile. "Most of them are."

* * *

Lars and Matthew were headed to Cam, a village on route to Ganmu. They rode partway with Yao across the wastes.

"May we visit if we're ever in Ganmu?" Matthew asked, slowing his horse by the entrance to Cam.

"Sure, if you'd like."

"It'll save us money, instead of staying at an inn," Lars said, grinning playfully.

"_Lars_…"

"I'm joking, joking. We'll be seeing you." He waved to Yao. Matthew did so as well before they nudged their horses, which took off at a trot into the village.

"See you," echoed Yao. He watched them go before turning his horse—a new one, bought in Dorado—to face the wastes. In the distance, he could see Ganmu. He flicked the reins and was off.

* * *

**END CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

Getit Poisoning: a type of poisoning caused by harmful bacteria in certain kinds of foods (when they aren't grown or cooked properly). It's not real, but if it was real, it wouldn't be very nice. It'll eat away at you. Bad stuff.


	4. Chapter Three

Let's get this party started.

**

* * *

CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

It was a quiet day.

It'd been more than a week since Yao's delivery to Dorado. Since then, he'd been selling as much as possible to make up the money he'd lost delivering the medicine. He'd been haggling and reselling, to a degree in which he was quite pleased with himself. He'd gotten quite the profit in the last couple of days and other shopkeepers and merchants in the neighbourhood had started giving him dirty looks.

That meant a job well done.

Today he sat behind the counter of his shop, head on his arms, half-dozing in the warmth of the room. His half-lidded gaze was blearily fixed on his ship's door. He yawned quietly, ran a hand through his hanging bangs. Business had died down, since it was the end of the week, and people were less inclined to go outside and shop, staying home with families and friends.

Yao grimaced quietly at the thought and leaned his head against his palm. Must be nice, he thought.

The silence was broken suddenly—with the sound, the sharp noise of gunshots. Yao jumped. Instinctively, he reached under the counter, finding the handle of the knife strapped to the wood. He stood up, holding the knife behind his back, jumping as someone burst into the shop, gasping for breath. Blood dripped from the man's arm and leg, the former which he was clutching.

"You—help," he gasped out and Yao hurried to him.

"What's going on?" he demanded. He tried to pull the young man towards the back room, to perhaps hide him, but the man resisted. He shoved an envelope into Yao's hands, instead, his eyes darting around wildly.

"I'll be fine," he croaked. His brown hair was matted with dirt and blood, but he didn't have any cuts on his head. Other peoples' blood? "The letter—take it to the king. Of Bavonia." He swallowed thickly, blinked his green eyes and turned with effort to the door, limping towards it. "I beg you, Mr. Wang Yao."

"How did you—" Yao bit the inside of his cheek. "Okay, but, let me help you. Who is after you? I can hide you."

"Can't say. Can't hide me, too dangerous," the man said, with effort. "Don't let anyone read the letter but the king. Here." He shoved a heavy, clinking bag into Yao's hand. "Please, it's a matter of life and death—more than one life." With that, the man bolted outside.

Yao stared after him, looked down at the envelope. What the hell—how did he know his name? No! There were more important things to do! Whatever was in this letter was vital to the king of Bavonia—the country beyond the Leiss Mountains. This was a job. That bag of coins was evidence of that, and once Yao was given a task, he carried it through.

He began to gather his things together. He tucked the envelope in a pocket on the inside of his jacket, shoving the bag of coins in one pocket. He gathered his weapons, strapping them to his body, and was moving and reaching out to lock the shop door when it burst open again.

A familiar figure in white and blue stood in the doorway. "Oh! It _is_ you, brother!" said Im Yong Soo excitedly.

"What—! Yong Soo, I—move! I'm closing up shop!"

"Eh?" Yong Soo looked at him, puzzled. Yao pushed him back, moved to shut the door. "Oh, no! Wait, wait, brother!" He wedged his foot between the door and the frame, clutching the door with his hands. "Waaaait!"

"Yong Soo, I don't have _time_—"

A gunshot split the air and both of them paused. Yao opened the door and peered narrowly down the road. A group of men were making their way down the road. They stopped as they saw the two of them and one pointed and yelled something in a thick, rasping tongue.

"Get in!" Yao pulled Yong Soo in by the front of his shirt. He slammed the door shut, locking it. "Follow me and _hurry_!" Yong Soo caught the urgency and fear in his voice and dashed after him as Yao pulled his bag over his shoulders. They ran up the stairs to Yao's apartment, down the hallway to a window that looked out at the back lot of his building. Yao heard the crack of wood splitting from downstairs and wet his lips anxiously.

Yao flung open the window and scrambled out onto the roof, skidding towards the ladder built onto the back he'd never gotten around to removing after he'd bought the place (and was now very, _very_ glad that he'd left it there). "W-what's going on, brother?" Yong Soo asked, following him. Yao said nothing and slid down the ladder, landing on the ground. Yong Soo clambered down it clumsily and Yao caught the back of his shirt at the bottom to steady him when he stumbled.

"I have no idea," said Yao, honestly. He hurried Yong Soo away from the building, through one alleyway after another, until Yong Soo felt dizzy.

"Are we lost?" he asked at last when they'd stopped.

"Shh!" Yao paused, cocked his head to the side. He couldn't hear the men who'd broken into his shop following, at least not yet. "Alright. We're fine for now. Catch your breath." They were standing in an alley, both exits narrow and hard to see. They led out to more, a veritable catacomb of twisting, narrow passages.

"Why," Yong Soo panted, "were we—" a gulping breath "—running? Are you in…trouble?"

"I think so," Yao said. "More importantly, what are you doing here?"

Yong Soo let out a gasp, his eyes widening. Obviously, he'd only just remembered his purpose. His eyes narrowed, darted from side to side. "The money I gave you before," he said, squirming, "Xiang told me that they were just novelty coins…fake." Yao nodded slightly. "S—so!" He looked at him intently. "I'm here to pay you properly!"

"I don't know if this is a great time," began Yao.

"You can take my body!" Yong Soo bellowed.

Stare. "What."

"I'll work! Chop wood, carry you on my back! I'll wash your hair for you!"

"Washing hair isn't wor—aiyah! What am I saying! I don't want that kind of weird payment! I was fine with just giving you the medicine!" Yao spluttered.

"Weird?!" Yong Soo cried. "That's mean, brother! I don't want to be the reason you become poor and live in a box on the street!"

"Like I'd ever get to that point because of _you_," scoffed Yao. "Don't think so highly of yourself." Then he paused. He turned his head as he heard footsteps—the soft kind, stealthy but the owner weighed too much to do it effectively. He grabbed Yong Soo's arm, shushed him when he opened his mouth to speak and pulled him back with him.

Yao saw the barrel of a gun, followed by a dark-clad arm edge slightly through the narrow alley opening. Seeing it, Yong Soo squeaked, and Yao yanked him down behind the nearby dumpster, crouching there with a hand over his mouth. The other reached for his knife.

He heard the soft scuff of shoes, and then a surprised inhale. A dull, fleshy thud followed.

Yao peered out cautiously, surprised when he saw a familiar, shaggy-haired young man standing over a heavyset man's prone body. His hands were upraised slightly, his body in a tight stance. His dark eyes focused on Yao and widened a little.

"Xiang! You're the best little brother _ever_!" Yong Soo exclaimed. He hopped to his feet.

"I'm older," said Xiang. "And we're cousins." He turned to Yao, bowing deeply. "Thank you for before."

"Thank _you_," Yao said, eyeing the man. "Is he…?"

"Just unconscious. We should go. Many suspicious people are around the city." Xiang scanned the alley with sharp eyes.

"Brother, what did you _do_ to make so many people mad with you?" Yong Soo asked with a blithe grin.

"I didn't _do_ anything!" Yao bit out. "Some stranger gave me an envelope and asked me to deliver it to the king of Bavonia!" He let the two cautiously through the alleys, towards the less reputable area of the city.

"Why'd you take it?" Yong Soo asked. "Kinda stupid of you, brother."

"Oh, shut up. He was hurt—and he asked me specifically, by name. He knew me, or something like that," Yao growled. "How could I not help someone?" They emerged into the Ganmu red light district. Yong Soo looked around, wide-eyed, mouth open.

"Xiang—some lady is waving at me!" he hissed, nudging him with a droopy sleeve.

"Yao," said Xiang politely, "why are we here?"

"There are people in the city chasing me," Yao told him, hands folding into his sleeves. "We need a way to get out of the city safely."

"And that's _here_?" Xiang asked doubtfully. Yong Soo was looking at all the shops and their displays, quite impressed.

"Yes. I know a man who can get us out safely—he owes me a favour."

* * *

**END CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

Can you guess who the man who gave Yao the envelope was? I was vague, but take a guess, by all means!


	5. Chapter Four

New characters: Francis (France)

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

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* * *

**

"Stop gawking around—can you be any more embarrassing?" Yao muttered as Yong Soo looked with obvious interest at a painting of two men on the wall of the brothel's waiting room. The room was done in dark reds and violets, and the smell in the air was cloying—a mixture of perfume and incense. It made Yao feel light-headed and vaguely ill. Though maybe that was just because he was in the brothel in the first place.

"He looks like you, brother!" Yong Soo said, waving a floppy sleeve at the man on the bottom in the painting. Yao's cheeks flushed hotly, and he was glad that the lighting disguised it.

"Im Yong Soo," Xiang said sternly.

Yong Soo pouted a bit and swung his feet up on the table (eliciting a scolding hiss from Yao). "I wish this guy would just hurry up already! We've been waiting _forever_!"

"Are you able to keep from talking? For just a few minutes?" Yao mumbled. "He'll be here soon."

"Ah, but I am already here, my lovelies!"

A well-dressed man holding a rose in one hand stepped into the room with a grand flourish. He set his other hand on his hip, chin tilting up arrogantly. His hair was longer, stubble on his chin, and a sort of _gleam_ in his eyes and an upwards tilt to his mouth that unnerved more than reassured.

"Hello, Francis," Yao greeted. Both Xiang and Yong Soo had gotten the shivers when they'd looked at him. Yao stood up to shake hands with the man.

"Good to see you! And are these your children?" Francis asked, peering at Yong Soo and Xiang interestedly, grinning.

"I'm only twenty-five," Yao said dryly.

"Adopted?"

"No!"

Francis laughed. "Yes, yes, I just like my little jokes. How may I help you today? You don't visit for no reason, after all, my friend…"

"I need a way to get out of the city to Bavonia—and a way to return these two to Dorado safely," Yao told him. Yong Soo and Xiang stood up suddenly behind him.

"I'm not going home!" Yong Soo said passionately. "I've still got to pay you back with my body!"

Yao let out an "aiyah!" and went red as Francis snorted loudly.

"Didn't think kids were your type, Yao," snickered Francis.

"I'm almost nineteen!" Yong Soo said proudly, setting his sleeves on his hips. Xiang cleared his throat to get the attention of the men.

"I am sure what Yong Soo is trying—and failing miserably—to say is that we don't feel good, leaving you alone, Yao. It seems too dangerous for you to be by yourself," Xiang said.

"It's far more dangerous for kids like you," Yao replied.

"I am nineteen. I'm not a child—nor is Yong Soo, no matter how he acts."

"You're pretty mean sometimes, Xiang," Yong Soo complained.

Francis was smiling broadly. "What passionate boys! Sticking to it! You should come work for me," he declared, his arm sweeping through the air grandly.

"Not helping, Francis," Yao hissed. He turned to Yong Soo and Xiang, folding his hands in his sleeves. "I'm not bringing you on some dangerous mission to Bavonia."

"We'll follow you," Xiang said without missing a beat, his expression serious. Yong Soo nodded furiously, grinning.

"Francis, help me—dissuade them!"

"Keep an eye on this stubborn guy for me, boys!" Francis said chirpily, gesturing at a flushing Yao.

"_Francis_!"

"They've made up their minds—they definitely won't change them, no matter how you protest. It's good to see that! They'll be fine men."

Yong Soo grinned smugly. Yao hung his head with a heavy sigh, and then mumbled, "I expect you both to do as I say. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Roger, brother!"

Francis clapped his hands together, pleased. "Now that this is all settled, follow me! I'll get you out of the city and arrange for a ship to give you a ride through the Mihel Channel. You'll have to go through the mountains, of course, but no pain, no gain." He glanced at Yao, his lips curling up, showing a glimmer of teeth. "With this, are we square, my friend?"

Yao nodded.

* * *

Francis had knowledge of all the ways in and out of the city, and dozens of other things. He was a resourceful, nosy bastard. He wanted to know everything, and would do just about anything to obtain that information.

Under Ganmu, from generations long since passed, there was a labyrinthine tunnel system that had been utilised in the wars many, _many_ years ago. So, Francis led them to one of the many hidden entrances (most of which had been sealed long ago but, I say again, resourceful). He chattered on about his brothel's business as they went, to which Yong Soo listened interestedly (Yao didn't think it was good that he had such an inordinate interest in a brothel). Francis talked about a rival brothel with a scornful tone and all the drama that came with running a business in the red light district.

"Your map—and a lantern!" Francis gave both to Yao. "There will be horses waiting for you on the other side." He looked at Yao with a suddenly serious expression, lips pressing together and his hands sliding into his pockets. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"I'm honestly not exactly sure," Yao said with a tiny sigh. "I'm too helpful sometimes."

"You are," Francis said with a soft chuckle. "Good luck." He shook Yao's hand once more. "You two, too. Good luck."

"Thank you, Mr. Francis," Xiang said.

"Yeah!" agreed Yong Soo. "Thanks!"

"You two could come back and work for me after everything. I'd be happy to have you—and you'd be the perfect additions to my business," Francis said, almost slyly. Xiang's eye twitched. Yong Soo tilted his head to the side bemusedly, grinning.

"_Thank you, Francis,_" Yao said flatly. He gave the lantern to Xiang and walked alongside Yong Soo into the tunnel, the shaggy-haired boy leading the way but remaining close.

"Stay safe!" Francis called into the tunnel. "Look after Yao! He's an idiot sometimes!"

"Shut _up_, Francis!" Yao shouted back to him, irritated. Yong Soo laughed loudly at him and Yao elbowed him in the side without mercy, provoking a yelp and a whine. "You, too!"

The dark tunnel stretched on ahead of them.

* * *

**END CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

AND THEY NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN.  
No, I'm kidding, of course. He'll return. Eventually. Maybe. We'll see.


	6. Chapter Five

New characters: Sadiq (Turkey)

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

Fire crackled in the night. It spat up sparks and ate up the dry wood piled in the pit for it.

They'd walked the distance of the tunnel and—true to his word—Francis had three horses awaiting them on the other side. They'd ridden for hours towards the mountains. The further they got from Dorado and the closer to the mountains, the cooler and grassier it had become. They had stopped to make camp when Yong Soo had begun to nod off on his horse, complaining drowsily that the mountains were too far away.

Though Yong Soo had been the one dozing in the saddle, it was Xiang who'd dropped off to sleep the quickest. Though he'd recovered from the poisoning sickness, he wasn't as strong as he would have been with more days of rest.

Yao muffled a yawn with his hand.

"Brother's sleepy too, huh?" Yong Soo said with a teasing edge, leaning slightly against him, peering at his face. Yao leaned back at the disconcerting proximity, willing his face not to become hot. Yong Soo, unbothered, threw an arm over his shoulders and leaned his head against his.

"It's been a long day." Yao bit back another yawn, just giving up and letting Yong Soo do as he pleased.

"Want me to keep watch while you sleep?" he asked, grinning.

Yao gave him a surprised look. He didn't seem like the type to do it—_or_ take it seriously, but Yao really was very tired and less inclined to worry as usual. "Really?"

"Yeah! I told you—I'd repay you with my body!" Yong Soo pumped his fist in the air energetically.

Yao groaned quietly, slapping his forehead. "Stop with that, already," he muttered, flushing despite himself. He lay down before Yong Soo could notice, rolling over on his side.

Yong Soo beamed down at him affectionately. "I'll protect you, brother," he told Yao. "I invented bravery, after all. And dependability."

"Liar," Yao mumbled thickly, falling gladly into the comforting blackness of sleep.

* * *

Too-bright sunlight beaming down onto his face coaxed Yao to stir and slit open his eyes. He looked blearily upwards at a pale morning sky, vision half obscured by something black that waved slightly in the breeze.

"What the—" Yong Soo was sleeping away soundly next to him, heavy frame almost draped over his body. His hair brushed Yao's face with every one of his breaths, chin nestled over his shoulder. Yao swallowed quietly, but then perked up as he heard someone shifting further away.

"You've sure turned into a careless guy, Yao," a deep voice commented. Yao struggled to sit up and Yong Soo whined sleepily at the movement.

A familiar figure was sitting on a rock nearby, his legs stretched out casually.

"Sadiq?" Yao asked disbelievingly. "It's just 'meet old acquaintances' week, isn't it…"

"Acquaintances!" the masked man said, a bit indignantly. "Thought we were friends, man."

"Sorry. Friends."

Sadiq made a grumpy noise, which dissolved into a brief laugh. "Heard you're on the run now," he commented.

"Heard? From who?" Yao asked, sitting up slowly after he'd manoeuvred the young man off of him. Yong Soo wriggled in his sleep, his arm finding his way around the slim man's waist.

"Oh," Sadiq said enigmatically, "a little birdie told me."

"Ah, I see." Yao sighed. "Yeah, I'm on the run…apparently. I'm not sure from who, though. Or why, exactly."

"Could have something to do with that letter," Sadiq said and stood. He was grinning down at Yao, tilting his head expectantly on an angle. "Should have a read of it, huh?"

"No—it's for the king's eyes only," Yao muttered.

Sadiq laughed. "You're such a boring guy—it concerns you. Since you're the one delivering it and risking your life for it." He jabbed a finger at Yao. "Am I right or am I right?"

"I'm not opening it. I know you just want to read it."

"Damn, you know me too well," Sadiq groused. He turned his head and paused, seeming to look in Xiang's direction. Yao looked as well, saw the boy's eyes open and sharp, and fixed on Sadiq.

"Who is he?" he asked. His tone was wary and distrustful.

"An old friend," Yao assured him. He twitched with surprise as the arm around his middle tightened suddenly and Yong Soo peered up at him through sleep-mussed hair.

"You've got weird 'old friends', brother," he said.

"Punk," Sadiq said, snorting. "I'm not at all weird." He crouched down and set to reviving the fire. "And you should be grateful—I scared off the wolves while you were sleeping."

"_Wolves_?!" Yong Soo yelped. He sat upright and clung to Yao, who heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"He's lying. Stop that, Sadiq," Yao scolded. Sadiq only guffawed and grinned, pleased with himself, rubbing his jaw with one hand. "Sadiq is a bounty hunter—Sadiq, this is Yong Soo and Xiang."

"Hm." Xiang eyed him.

"I'm the best hunter around," Sadiq boasted.

Yao smiled a bit. "I've met people contesting for that title," he said. Sadiq snorted at that, scornfully—like any bounty hunting newbies could ever hope to be better than _him_.

"Anyway," Sadiq said loudly, resting his hands on his knees. "Did my good deed for the year, keeping an eye on you kids."

"Going now? How about breakfast?" Yao offered. Sadiq paused. "Hmmm?"

"Breakfast, then I'm goin'," he said firmly.

* * *

Sadiq told them that he'd just come from Bavonia. "Caught a glimpse of their king—he's just a _kid_! Real brat, arrogant little snot! Thinks he's all that, I could tell just lookin' at him," he explained as he chewed on strips of meat. "Apparently, his dad just up'n died, so he got to take over because he's 'of age'." He snorted at added in a mutter, "Kings used to have to damn well earn their royalty back in the day."

"Want some tea, old man?" Yong Soo asked, cheekily. Sadiq grumbled at him good-naturedly.

He _did_ have tea, though, when Xiang poured it. He gulped it down and explained, "It's only because you don't have anything stronger that I'm drinkin' this. Hey, Yao, why is the first thing you pack _tea_, even when there's more important things?"

"Tea is important," was the reply. Yao sipped from his cup delicately.

Sadiq rolled his eyes under his mask, grinning a bit.

"By the way, I'm goin' to the city, so you can have my supplies. The mountains are just downright savage this year." He shuddered for emphasis.

"Thank you, Sadiq," Yao said, sincerely hoping that he was just being overdramatic.

* * *

**END CHAPTER FIVE**

**

* * *

**I've never written Turkey before, haha.


	7. Chapter Six

New characters: Aksel (Denmark)

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

Sadiq hadn't been being overdramatic.

More than once—travelling up the worn path of the mountains—the three were forced to stop because of sudden snowstorms. They'd huddle in whatever safe space they could, the animals crowding in with them, making it an altogether awful affair.

"Not again!" Yong Soo exclaimed as the wind began to pick up.

"There's a cave," Xiang said, indicating it with a hand. They hurried towards it, leading the horses after them (they'd resorted eventually to just going on foot, it was harder on horseback). Ducking into the cave, Yao let out a loud puff of breath as the snow began to whirl outside.

"Stupid snow," Yong Soo declared, making a face at it.

As they shifted further inside, Yao paused. He thought he had heard a shuffling noise—he turned away from the cave opening, which Yong Soo and Xiang were looking out of, and peered towards the back of the cave, shrouded in shadows. It was too dark to make anything out, but he loosed his sword in its sheath regardless. He heard a sudden dull scraping sound and stiffened.

"Hey, hey," drawled a voice. Yong Soo jumped and whirled around, peering anxiously towards the back of the cave. Xiang went tense next to him. "What're you doing in my place, huh?"

Yao urged the two younger men back, staring at the dark, trying to see. He caught a flicker of movement—a darker shadow amongst the blackness, and heard the sound of something behind hefted. In a flash, he'd drawn his sword, lifting it just in time to block the enormous axe that was swung down. He only just kept his knees from buckling and he gritted out a "ngh!" from the effort of blocking the blow.

"Brother!"

"Stay!" Yao barked when he heard a rustle of movement behind him. "You too—ghk!—Xiang!" He stared forward, trying to discern his attacker's face as the axe blade screeched, grinding against the blade of his sword.

"I'm not lettin' no bounty hunters take me," he caught his attacker mumbling.

"Wait, we're not—"

Yao had to dart to the side when the man lifted the axe to swing it towards his head. He ducked, hearing the weapon whistling through the air above his head and was glad he was quick. "—bounty hunters!" he finished. "We're—" he ducked another swing "—not!"

"Huh?" His attacker paused, tone becoming confused. "You aren't?"

"No!" Yao exclaimed.

"Oh. Whoops." He heard the man shifting, a dull thud as he set down the axe. Then, the cave was flooded with yellow light as the man pulled a blanket off a large lantern. "Really, you're not?"

"Really. Really, _really_, we're not," Yao insisted, blinking to get used to the sudden light. The man was ridiculously tall, with spiky blond hair that reminded him a little of Lars. He had bright blue eyes that shone in the lantern light. He wore a thick red and black coat and, shifting, he leant his axe against the wall.

"Sorry, then," he apologised, lifting a gloved hand with a grin. Yao grudgingly sheathed his sword.

"Whoa, brother, you fended off that guy's axe! Way to go your own way!" Yong Soo voiced this with an accompanying thumbs-up. Xiang sighed and rubbed between his eyes with his forefinger and thumb.

The man blinked at them, then looked down at Yao. "Hey, you did! I guess you're tough, for such a little guy!"

Yao glowered.

"So, whatcha doing on the mountain?" asked the man brightly, oblivious. He fell into a crouch on the floor, gesturing for the three of them to sit with him.

"We're going to Bavonia!" Yong Soo told him enthusiastically, plopping down.

"Bavonia?" The man blinked. "Why d'you wanna go t such a boring place? Full of prudes who get mad if you get into an awesome fight in the middle of the street." He flapped a hand.

"It's confidential," Xiang said at the same time Yong Soo said, "We're going to bring a letter to the king!"

"Damn it, Yong Soo!" Yao seethed and smacked his head.

"Ow! Brooooother!"

"A letter, huh?" Well, I won't tell anyone about that if you don't tell anyone Aksel the Great is living in the mountains!" exclaimed the man, flashing an arrogant grin.

"Deal," Yao said tiredly.

"So, then," Aksel began, folding his gloved fingers together. He leaned forward, his eyes reflecting the lantern light. "Why dontcha tell me the whole story?"

* * *

Aksel 'the Great' (self-proclaimed) was a man with a huge bounty on his head. He'd come to the mountains since the bounty hunters wouldn't just 'leave him the hell alone'. Apparently, they were reluctant to travel through the dangerous, snowy mountains, combing the peaks just to find a crazy man with an axe (though he didn't say 'crazy man with an axe', he said 'awesome fighter'). Yao was unsurprised. At any rate, Aksel listened to the whole story, seeming a bit grumpy when he heard that Yao was 'pals' (as he said) with bounty hunters but not caring just so long as those hunters didn't come after him.

"Sounds like you're dealing with some dangerous people," said Aksel after he'd heard it all. His eyes glowed. "Seems like a _blast_!"

"I don't know about a 'blast'," Yao said doubtfully.

"No, it's definitely great. I wanna rough up these guys that are after you." He licked his lips, seeming eager. Yao wanted to bolt out of the cave all of a sudden, but the storm was still going strong, cheerily keeping him trapped.

"You should! They broke down brother's door and everything!"

Aksel let out a 'tsk'. "Bastards."

"Yong Soo, we couldn't take them all on if we tried," said Xiang gravely.

"You just need reinforcements!" Aksel said vigorously.

Yao looked at him warily. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

"I'm sayin', I'm gonna tag along when you leave," said the man, grinning. "I want a chance to have at those guys." He slammed a fist into his gloved palm with a smack.

"I don't think that's—" Yao began but Yong Soo threw his sleeves around him excitedly. "—oof! You just smacked me in the face! _What is it_?"

"That'd be great!" Yong Soo told him. "C'mon, please, please, pleeeease, brother?"

"Yeah, please, brother?" Aksel asked.

"Why am I becoming everyone's brother?" grumbled Yao, though he was secretly pleased. "Oh, whatever." He exchanged a tired glance with Xiang, who shrugged his shoulders helplessly. Aksel and Yong Soo whooped excitedly, the latter pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Aiyah! Off, off!"

"This calls for a feast!" Aksel declared, rising to his feet and grabbing his axe. "I'm gonna go kill that cow I was saving!"

The three heard an alarmed moo from further back in the cave.

* * *

**END CHAPTER 6**

**

* * *

**I really liked writing this chapter. I wonder how well I've portrayed Denmark. I picture him as rash, cheerful, and stupid while being aggressive in ways.


	8. Chapter Seven

New characters: Inge (Norway), Njáll (Iceland)

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**

* * *

**  
Aksel had given them heavy fur coats. Apparently he had 'found' them up in the mountains. Yeah right, Yao thought. He personally believed Aksel was just a little bit—or a lot—crazy, but at least the coat was warm. They'd left after a cooked feast (Aksel had practically eaten half the damn cow himself with Yong Soo in a close second—the remainder Yao had packed up for later) and after the storm had blown over.

Aksel seemed determined to prove himself. He was an expert at predicting the snowstorms and took over leading the three weary horses. They made much better time with him leading the way, descending the mountain towards the Joustheimer Port. Once there, they'd catch the ship through the Mihel Channel to Bavonia. Yao was very glad when he could see the snow ending around them.

When they went from snow to hard earth to _lush tropical forest_, Yao had to stop for a minute.

"What…?" Xiang breathed.

"Cool!" Yong Soo said, throwing up his arms.

Aksel growled quietly.

This was not here the _last_ time Yao had gone to the Joustheimer Ports.

He jumped as Aksel suddenly bellowed, "HEY, FAERIES!"

A boy melted out of thin air above their heads. He was neatly dressed, with very pale hair and faintly glowing violet eyes. His gloved fingertips rested lightly together. "Who calls upon the faerie of the—" His cool, remote expression turned to dislike as soon as he laid eyes on Aksel. "Ah. It's _you_."

"Hey, you little magical creep," greeted Aksel, almost playfully, but his tone was scathing, "what the hell are you doing, putting this forest _back up_?"

Yao sighed—_faeries_. Yong Soo and Xiang stared up at the boy, bewildered.

"Inge!" called the faerie.

"What is it, Njáll?" _Pop_. Another young man had appeared. His hair was blond and he wore a blue cap on his head, which he tilted back slightly to gaze at the pale boy. "And I told you to call me 'brother'." Turning his head and looking down, he saw Aksel and his lips pressed together.

"Heya, pretty boy," Aksel crowed. "Nice to see ya again!" His hand had wrapped around his axe's hilt.

"Can't say the same. What do you want?" asked the faerie with the cap. Yong Soo tugged furiously at Yao's sleeve to get his attention.

"What?" he asked out of the corner of his mouth.

"Is that…uh…really a…y'know…" Yong Soo was pressed close to him and Yao shifted at the feeling of his warm chest brushing against his back. He moved from foot to foot, not exactly wanting to step away.

"Yes it is. Shh."

"—rid of this forest," Aksel finished. The faerie tugged at the brim of his hat, as if contemplating the demand. The other one—Njáll—floated close to him, and occasionally the blond faerie would reach out and touch his arm, as if seeking reassurance. "Kay, Inge?"

"What are you going to do if I don't?" Inge asked, evenly.

"Same thing as last time!" Aksel aggressively hefted his axe off his back and let the blade rest against the ground.

Inge's gaze drifted over Yao, Yong Soo and Xiang. His expression didn't seem to change much at all, much like the other faerie. "Who are these people?" he asked slowly. He touched Njáll's arm again, keeping the other close to his side. He got a brief glance from the pale-haired faerie.

"My pals!" Aksel said, with triumph. The corner of Inge's mouth twitched. "What?"

"Pals… Then, what if I do…this?" All of a sudden, Yao's world turned upside-down. Huge roots circled his ankles and he struggled with a short sound of surprise.

"Brother!" exclaimed Aksel and Yong Soo as one. Xiang stiffened.

Njáll shifted a bit at the word, his eyes circling the group below, calculatingly. He'd drifted a bit further away from Inge, who would occasionally look to him protectively.

"This—" Yao gritted out, with effort, "—is why—I hate—faeries."

"What now, hm?" Inge said, tilting his head slightly. Yao's hand struggled towards his pocket, his breathing heavy. Xiang took up a fighting stance, expression hard.

"Let 'im down, you girly bastard!" Aksel shouted. "I'm gonna sla—whoa!" He turned around and hacked a root in half as it'd been sneaking up behind him. His axe blade gleamed threateningly and Inge shifted further upwards, away from the iron of the weapon.

"I don't think I like faeries!" cried Yong Soo, darting away from a vine, crawling over the ground towards him. Yao huffed where he was, peering over as Njáll drifted down in front of him, head tilted.

"This is a 'brother'?" he mused quietly. Yao's hand plunged into his pocket.

Inge's lips quirked up at one corner and he folded his arms across his chest, watching Yong Soo and Xiang struggle. Then, his whole body went taut as he heard Njáll let out a soft cry. He whipped around, his eyes widening as he saw Yao, one arm clamped tight around the faeries' middle, the other holding an iron knife close to his throat. Njáll hadn't been expecting the salt thrown at him, nor the root, which had shrivelled up.

A shudder passed through Inge's body. "Let him go," he said evenly, with a slight waver.

Yao looked up at him flatly, still vaguely dizzy from being held upside-down, but able to manage. With Inge's attention, he looked pointedly over to his three companions. Xiang, who'd been being cornered by a heavy root, looked over at Yao swiftly as it shrunk back like a frightened dog. Aksel panted for breath, his eyes gleaming with enjoyment (there were mangled, hacked-up roots and plants around him), and Yong Soo stared at Inge, then at Njáll, a funny look on his face.

"I'll let you through," Inge said, voice growing a bit shaky. He drifted down closer, his fingers twitching anxiously. "So, please—"

Njáll swallowed, his eyes darting fearfully from Inge to the knife. "B-brother."

Yao drew the knife back slowly and, once it was moved away, Inge lunged forward, pulling Njáll immediately, protectively, into his arms. He pressed his lips fiercely to his throat as Njáll shuddered and clutched at him. Then, they disappeared with a soft _pop_.

With their departure, the forest melted away to hard, packed earth around them. Cool sunlight pooled around them, and a fishy smell drifted on the breeze that tugged at their hair. In the distance, smoke curled up from the residential buildings that were grouped around the Joustheimer Ports.

Yong Soo had an odd look on his face.

"Let's go," Yao said wearily.

* * *

**END CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

Yes, Norway and Iceland are together. No, they aren't really brothers in this—AU, remember?  
And they're faeries because…Norway can see faeries. Its fantasy, I had to have faeries in there somewhere (and can't you just picture Denmark getting all PO'd at faeries and just threatening them?).  
They'll be back eventually.


	9. Chapter Eight

New characters: Berwald (Sweden), Tino (Finland), the cook (Seychelles)

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

True to his word, Francis had a ship waiting for their arrival. It was a small, swift-looking vessel, with a modest crew. Its captain was a man taller than Aksel with blond hair and glasses—named Berwald. His first mate ("M'wife," said the captain to furious protests from said 'wife') a smaller blond man named Tino. As soon as the three of them boarded the ship, after speaking to said captain and first mate, Yao found himself face-to-face with two very familiar people.

"Oh," Matthew said.

"Ah," Lars said.

"Goddammit, bounty hunters," Aksel said.

Yao leapt between them as the two bounty hunters reached for their guns. Aksel moved to swing his axe down from its place across his back, a snarl on his face. "Hey," he said quickly, trying to dissolve the sudden, palpable tension and aggression in the air, "he's with us."

Lars and Matthew looked at him incredulously, the latter seeming more worried than anything. "With a crazy _killer_?" Lars spluttered. "Are you _serious_?"

"He's alright." To Yao's surprise, Xiang was the one who had said it. Aksel rounded on him with slightly wide eyes as he continued, his voice even, "So please don't try to capture him." He paused, looked at them with his eyebrows uplifted hopefully. "Okay?"

"And here I thought you didn't like me!" Aksel laughed loudly and crushed Xiang into his chest.

"Mmmff!" Xiang protested.

"Okay?" Yao asked Matthew and Lars again while Xiang was occupied trying to break free. The former smiled uncertainly and nodded after a moment. Lars sighed loudly.

"Whatever," he grumbled. He turned on his heel and walked off, shoulders hunched a little. Matthew hurried after him, shooting an apologetic glance over one shoulder.

"Time to find some grog! We'll toast our friendship!" Aksel exclaimed and towed Xiang with him, ignoring the younger man's resistance and protests.

Yao sighed loudly, hoping Aksel wouldn't turn Xiang into a drunk. He turned to Yong Soo, who'd been quiet since the events in forest. "Are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" he asked him. Yong Soo started and Yao blinked rapidly at the reaction.

"I'm fine!" Yong Soo said quickly, too quickly.

"Really…?" Yao asked, doubtful, immediately worried.

"Y-yeah!"

* * *

The evening passed in a whirl. Aksel had offered him grog but Yao had (politely) declined. He'd managed to encourage (read: nag) Xiang into drinking, though, and the younger man was tilting and leaning heavily on Aksel by the time dinner was done. The cook, an energetic girl with dark hair in two tails, said Francis sent his regards. Lars avoided being anywhere near Aksel, and had regarded him suspiciously whenever he passed by. Matthew had been smiling sheepishly at Yao and his companions. He'd been trying to engage his partner in light discussion with everyone, but he'd failed to dissolve Lars' tension. The two of them were journeying to Bavonia as well, as the bounty hunting office had quite a few unsolved bounties up there, or so they'd heard.

Yong Soo had been distracted all night—he'd even _jump_ whenever Yao addressed him, worrying the older man terribly. Eventually he proclaimed, "I invented sleep!" and went to the cabin the four of them were sharing. The remaining three had all followed soon afterwards and Yao listened to Aksel laughing drunkenly and telling Xiang stupid jokes before there was silence. Aksel had (presumably) passed out in his bunk.

Now, Yao angled his gaze towards the round window, seeing starlight reflecting off the water. The ship creaked occasionally, the rocking somehow soothing. He yawned slightly and when he opened his eyes, he jumped to see Yong Soo, shirtless, standing by the edge of his bunk, occasionally lurching when the ship moved.

"Yong Soo?" he hissed. He saw the young man's head move in a tiny nod. "What is it…?"

"Do brothers look at each other and kiss each other like those faeries did?" Yong Soo asked him quietly.

"Not real brothers," Yao answered, cautious and thoroughly bemused. He huffed in surprise as Yong Soo edged into the bunk with him. "Hey."

"Can I touch and kiss you like that, then?" Yong Soo asked.

Yao spluttered in surprise, his face growing hot almost immediately. "W-what?" he hissed. "No Yon—ah!" The tiny noise followed Yong Soo pressing a tentative little kiss to his neck.

"I really, really like you," Yong Soo said in a hushed voice. "I love you!"

"No way," Yao gasped out quietly. Surprisingly strong arms encircled his middle. "You can't."

"I do, I do," Yong Soo insisted softly.

"I'm s-seven years older than you!" Yao hated the way he'd stuttered when his neck was nuzzled at warmly. He'd caught himself staring at Yong Soo more than once—at the broad shoulders and muscular frame, but he couldn't be expected to hold back if—

"It's okay!" Yong Soo breathed, lips touching between his eyebrows tenderly. "I like you anyway!" Yao weakened to the affection, unable to deny the warmth curling in his chest from the words.

"N-not good," Yao said with a tiny sigh. Yong Soo was nuzzling against his cheek. "You should like someone your own age."

"But you're way prettier than anyone my age that I've ever met before," Yong Soo stated, teeth flashing white in a grin. Both of his hands flattened against Yao's chest. "Brother's breasts belong to me!"

Yao made an indignant sound as Yong Soo squeezed (it wasn't the most pleasant sensation) and he lifted a hand to swat at him. It paused halfway, however, fingers slackening, and instead ruffled through Yong Soo's hair. He got a hopeful look, brown eyes shining.

"Hey, hey, do you—" Yong Soo began, only to cut off as Yao gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. "Oh! Another, pleease?" He leaned forward, puckering his lips, but got pushed out of the bunk instead. Yao rolled over, back facing in his direction.

"Back to your own bed," he said sternly. Yong Soo pouted a bit, but he had an answer, so he was happy.

* * *

The spires of Castle Bavras rose up towards the sky in the distance. Yong Soo gasped, amazed, leaning against the railing as the ship drifted ever closer to Bavonia's capital of Eirske. "Look, look!" he exclaimed, flailing his arms at it, the channel breeze tugging at his sleeves.

Xiang joined him, looking with quiet wonder at the castle. "Way bigger than Dorado's," he said. Aksel sauntered up behind them and threw his arms around their shoulders, leaning slightly against them, his head between both of theirs. Yong Soo sneezed as some of his hairs brushed his nose when Aksel turned his face towards Xiang.

"Kids never got this far from home before?" he teased.

Xiang looked up at him, eyebrows furrowing. "We never did," he said evenly. "We had never even left Dorado since our parents died." Aksel ruffled his shaggy hair with one gloved hand. "Eh—what?"

"I'll show you everything there is to see in Eirske," Aksel promised. Xiang looked out at the water and nodded slightly. The tall man grinned enormously.

"I wanna explore, too!" Yong Soo whined and shrugged out from under Aksel's arm. He moved over to where Yao was sitting alone at a tiny table set up on the deck, drinking a cup of tea. He promptly draped his arms around Yao's shoulders. He groped his chest, grinning at the yelp he got and attracting Aksel and Xiang's gazes.

"G-get off!" squeaked Yao, red-faced.

* * *

Matthew stood away from the energetic group (Aksel was laughing uproariously at the look on Yao's flushed face), gazing towards the castle and Bavonia, growing ever nearer, with an unreadable expression. "What's wrong?" Lars asked, joining him and peering at him worriedly.

Matthew blinked a few times and looked over at him with a tiny smile. "Nothing."

Lars snorted. "I know it's not 'nothing," he said firmly. "C'mon, if there's something wrong, you can tell me."

Matthew looked at him with a small smile and closed his eyes as Lars leaned their heads together gently, affectionately. "I just," he started, paused, and continued in a lower voice, "I just really don't like that place."

* * *

**END CHAPTER EIGHT**

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* * *

**Hong Kong and Denmark. Yeah. I'm going there.


	10. Chapter Nine

New characters: The guards—Ludwig (Germany), Feliciano (North Italy), Alfred (America), the royal guard's sniper—Vash (Switzerland, only mentioned)

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

**

* * *

**  
Castle Bavras was even more impressive up close. Aksel set his gloved knuckles on his hips with a smug air. "Told you I knew the way," he declared proudly. He darted a glance over at Xiang, who was looking up at the castle with awe. Aksel grinned, pleased with himself.

"How are we going to get in?" Yao asked, eyeing the guards apprehensively. One of them—a big blond man—was being pestered by the littler guard, who was chattering on very quickly and with energetic bounces punctuating his words occasionally. Though they seemed lax, they probably weren't going to let them in if Yao just said "hey, I've got a really important letter to give the king".

Matthew let out a loud, abrupt sigh. Lars glanced over at him curiously. The two of them had decided to accompany the group to the castle—in fact, the sharpshooter had been the one to suggest it (he had looked like he'd rather stab himself in the throat as he'd forced out the offer, though, Yao recalled). "Leave this to me," he now said and made his way over to the guards.

The group watched with curiosity as Matthew halted before the guards. They turned to look at him and he said something, his posture abruptly changing. His hands moved to rest on his hips, his head cocking to the side arrogantly. Yao couldn't see his face, but if he could he thought Matthew would be smirking with his glasses glinting.

Lars was abruptly worried.

Eventually, though, the guards _bowed_ to him.

As Matthew returned, Yong Soo looked at him wonderingly. "What did you _do_?" he asked, amazed.

Matthew glanced away. "I'll tell you later. Come on, we can go in now."

"You're my new best friend!" Yong Soo exclaimed. Yao made an unpleasant noise and the younger man looked over at him with a grin. "Don't worry, brother! I said 'friend'! I love you the most! No need to be jealous!"

Yao flushed. "I never said anything!" he grumped. "Let's just go."

Lars looked over at Matthew with a doubtful expression, wondering what exactly he'd said to get them into the castle so effortlessly. Nevertheless, he followed the group. The guards moved and opened the castle doors for them, inclining their heads slightly.

"Awesome," Aksel said once they were inside.

Yao had seen the castle quite a few times from the outside. He'd never seen the inside (of course), but it was just as lavish and ridiculously impressive. The floors and walls were polished marble, and besides the regular huge, domed windows there were ones of stained glass, depicting knights or kings or dragons. The light filtering through them flickered colourfully over the floors.

They walked down the quiet entrance hall (this section of the castle was empty and practically silent), looking around with awe, all except for Matthew and Lars. Matthew just looked as though he wanted to go right back the way they had come. Lars just kept stealing glances over at him.

They halted before a pair of polished oak doors, stone lions on pedestals to either side of them. "The throne room," Matthew said, indicating it with a hand. Yao reached into his jacket and pulled out the letter, wetting his lips. Yong Soo thumped his back encouragingly and Aksel and Lars moved forward to pull open the doors.

The throne room was large to an unnecessary degree, made of marble like everything else. The golden throne was also unnecessarily large and extravagant. The room was empty, however.

"What," Aksel said, voice echoing in the huge, empty room, "He ain't even here?" He strolled inside, Xiang at his heels, looking towards the throne thoughtfully. Their footsteps echoed loudly. "Heh, let's play 'be the king', huh?"

"Oh, I wanna sit on the throne first!" Yong Soo flapped his sleeves excitedly and made to run towards it, but Yao's hand gripping the back of his shirt halted him. "Ack—!"

"No playing! We've got to find the king and deliver this letter!"

"Letter?" said an unfamiliar voice suddenly. Matthew edged slightly behind Lars' taller form. A young man sidled out from behind the throne. His blue eyes gleamed out from behind a pair of glasses. His hair was blond—more vibrant than Matthew's—and he wore plain clothes but an overdone jacket with a furred collar. A crown was haphazardly set on his head, gold and inlaid with precious gemstones.

"So, you're not guys that crazy advisor sent to find me?" The King of Bavonia held out a hand, grinning. "Give it here."

Yao hurried to him and handed him the letter. "We came all the way from Heldere," he said as the king opened the letter and pulled out a thick sheet of parchment. He watched as the king read it, expression going from curiosity to alarm and then it suddenly morphed into a grin and he laughed.

He threw the letter and Yao scrambled to catch it. "Why did you—" he began.

"Is this some kinda joke? Tell Artie I don't believe in that magic and demon mumbo-jumbo," the king said, flapping a hand, rolling his eyes. "A poor country getting ready to sacrifice a bunch of people to summon a demon army to kill me and take over Bavonia? _Please_."

"What?" Yao gasped, paling and turning his eyes to the letter. It had been written in jerking, shaky handwriting, dark stains marring the paper. Of course Yao believed in demons—there were faeries around, after all, and dragons had lived long ago before they'd gone underground. What the king had described was indeed written in the letter (though with far more seriousness he'd given it), and the entire thing seemed to be being orchestrated by some man in the warlord-run, chaotic country of Talyin. The man had amassed quite a force and had been capturing people for weeks now. It had been penned by a member of the 'Talyin Resistance', but the name was shakier than the rest—it began with 'Rai', and that was all Yao could distinguish.

"T-this is," spluttered Yao, "horrible! Your Majesty, you have to do something right away! The whole country is in danger—and not just this one!" The king looked at him strangely.

"Demons aren't real," he scoffed.

Yong Soo puffed up his cheeks at him, waving his droopy sleeve back and forth. "If faeries exist, so do demons!" he said, in a very 'I know more than you do, so shut up and listen' way.

"Faeries don't exist, either," said the king, turning away, hands on his hips. "Why are there so many stupidly superstitious people around?" Yao's cheek developed a tic and he fought the urge to just kick the king in the back of the head.

"Just because _you_ don't believe in it doesn't mean it's not real! _You idiot!_"

The sudden shout came from Matthew, who had stepped out from behind Lars. He glared with angry violet eyes. The king whipped around, his own eyes wide.

"Mattie?"

"If there's any kind of threat to your country, no matter how fantastic and ridiculous it seems, you should investigate it, Alfred!" Matthew said, mouth set in an angry scowl Yao had never seen on his face before.

"Uh, Mattie—"

"You haven't changed at all! Why shouldn't demons be deal?! Not even that, but if there's a dangerous man in a country filled with civil war and death sacrificing innocent people, you should act on it anyway! Why are you so _irresponsible all of the time_?" He was really winding up, getting angrier and angrier, and Yao sensed a rant the like of which the world had never seen.

"Pet," Lars said and wrapped his arms around Matthew's waist, pulling him back against his chest. "Calm down—here, deep breaths." Matthew breathed in and out harshly, still angry.

"Hey! Hands off my brother!" the king shouted, pointing angrily at Lars.

"Shut up, Alfred!" Matthew seethed.

"Brother?" chorused Yong Soo and Aksel. Xiang looked between the king and Matthew thoughtfully and Yao ran his fingers repeatedly through his ponytail.

"_Brother_?" Lars asked, voice hushed.

* * *

Prince Matthew of Bavonia—the 1st heir to the Bavonian throne. When he'd lived in Bavonia, he was ceaselessly mistaken for Alfred, and he thought that—as a king—he would be too unremarkable to be a commanding presence. Though he'd been good with diplomacy and history, his younger brother Alfred was the well-known one, the charismatic one, the likeable one. He was often said to be the heir and the older brother (if they even remembered there were two brothers at all), when it was vice versa.

Matthew had gotten sick of being overshadowed and forgotten. Everyone in Bavonia seemed to want the energetic, affable Alfred as king. Many didn't even remember that the soft-spoken, even-tempered Matthew existed. This had made his slipping away easy, and Matthew had merely left a letter for his father telling him that he was leaving and he should give Alfred the throne.

Nobody had come looking for him, which was just as well. He'd turned his skills with shooting (learned in secret from the skilled sniper who worked in the royal guard) to become a sharpshooting bounty hunter.

Lars seemed a bit troubled by all of this as they sat in the (too big) sunroom.

"I just wanted to leave it all behind," Matthew told him, his expression sad. "I understand if you don't want to be with a liar like me."

Yao was sure he wasn't just talking about being partners in bounty hunting.

"You kidding?" Lars exclaimed. "My feelings for you haven't changed at all! I just don't know how to deal with _that_." He jerked a thumb at Alfred, staring daggers from the chair opposite them.

"I could have you beheaded," Alfred warned.

"Beheading is illegal, Alfred. And I wouldn't let you." Matthew looked at him flatly.

"I'm best friends with a prince!" crowed Yong Soo. Aksel seemed to think the whole affair was getting boring without any violence involved. Even a punching match, he reasoned, would've been good.

"When are we gonna go over to Talyin and kick some ass?" Aksel asked. He helped himself to the plate of snacks on the table, only offering some to Xiang and making a face at Yong Soo as he made attempts to get one.

"While I don't necessarily want to 'go over and kick some ass', we _should_ discuss this," Xiang said. His expression and statement sobered up the atmosphere in the room. Save for Alfred, who snorted quietly.

"Going into enemy territory…if you thought being chased in Ganmu was bad, this will be like falling into a pit of vipers," Lars said.

"Why do _we_ gotta solve this?" said Yong Soo. "That king should do it!"

"It's not real," Alfred snorted.

"Useless idiot. Stupid Alfred," Matthew muttered viciously to himself, then raised his voice. "If we don't do something, though, who will?" Yong Soo mumbled grudging agreement.

"Where does he make his base?" Aksel wondered.

"Good question," Yao mumbled. "A better question would be who this crazy man is."

Matthew seemed thoughtful. "We could ask someone I know." Alfred groaned loudly, almost as though in protest. "Shut up, you've made this my problem, so you aren't involved anymore!" Lars nuzzled his hair.

"You're hot when you're mad," he murmured quietly. Matthew went bright red, frown disappearing. Yong Soo was watching them (as if he were trying to learn something) and kept looking over at Yao, who avoided meeting his gaze, cheeks warming.

Yao cleared his throat. "Who is it that you know that we could ask?" he questioned.

"The old court magician—who Alfred stupidly ordered removed from his position because he didn't _believe_ in the magic. If anyone can find this guy, it's him."

"A _magician_, Xiang," Yong Soo hissed in his ear. "Coolest trip ever."

"We're not on vacation," Xiang muttered. "This is serious." Yong Soo made a face at him, folding his sleeves together. Under his breath he mumbled "stick in the mud".

"Let's go see him, then," Yao said. "And see if we can do something."

'_When I start something,'_ he thought wearily as they all rose, save for a slightly pouting Alfred, _'I can't just leave it alone. No matter how much trouble it causes me. Delivering the letter—how could I be expected to just go home and do nothing when something like this is happening?'  
_

_

* * *

_**END CHAPTER NINE**

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**  
I'm sure you can all guess who the former court magician is. Heh.  
Some characters will be returning next chapter.


	11. Chapter Ten

Thanks kindly for the reviews up until this point!

New characters: Arthur (England)

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN**

* * *

'Kirkland's Spells and Commodities' was located downtown in Eirske, away from the hustle and bustle of the main centre. It was a squat, rounded building with dark curtains drawn over the windows. Yao fancied he saw stars glittering amongst the velvet. Matthew led the way to the door, knocking politely on it. It swung open soundlessly and the group peered cautiously past the door—Yao couldn't see anything inside.

Matthew let out a good-natured sigh and stepped into the shop. When they'd all sidled inside, the door drifted soundlessly behind them and Yong Soo sidled closer to Yao, like he expected the man to grab onto him out of fear. "Arthur? It's me."

"What?" A light flickered in the dark, and then Yao winced as a series of candles abruptly blazed into life. A man was standing in front of them, in a neat green suit, his hair blond and his eyes bright green underneath thick eyebrows. He was staring a bit at the sharpshooter. "It can't be—Matthew?"

Stepping forward, Matthew wrapped his arms around the man, who returned it briefly, patting his back with one hand. Matthew drew back and looked down at him, smiling. "It's been a long time."

"It has. You've gotten quite tall, my boy." The man—Arthur—eyed Matthew and then looked over his shoulder. "These are…hm." Yao shifted uncomfortably when he looked at him, feeling a prickling sensation in the middle of his forehead. Yong Soo wriggled, rubbing his head with a bemused grimace, not sure if he was in pain or not. "I see. Pleasure to meet you all, I'm Arthur Kirkland."

"What did you just—" began Lars, but Arthur was turning away.

"Shall I make tea?"

Yao brightened immediately. "Oh yes, you're far too kind."

Within five minutes, the two had taken a seat at the round table in the room and were discussing their ways of brewing and their personal favourite kinds of tea. Yong Soo made a funny noise and Aksel snorted, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling, draped in fabric that also glittered gold in places.

"Brother, stop being such an old man," Yong Soo said, voice too loud in the quiet room. "You can talk about tea later—we've got more important things to do!"

"Tea is important," Arthur and Yao said in unison.

"Arthur?" Matthew said, with an imploring edge. Arthur looked over at him, sighed lightly, and snapped his fingers. Abruptly, more chairs appeared around the round table, which seemed to have grown bigger suddenly—as Yao thought that Arthur was suddenly further away than before. He indicated they sit and they did so, Yong Soo bouncing in his seat, apparently eager to see some more magic.

"You're looking for a dangerous man," Arthur commented. How he knew, they didn't ask. He waved his hand and a crystal ball spun into existence over the table, above the tea pot. He frowned and it moved to the side. "Normally, I'd be able to find him on my own."

"But?" Lars said, raising his eyebrows.

"I'll have to ask for some help, this time. Faeries shall do."

Aksel made a disgusted noise, Xiang grimaced, Yong Soo paled and Yao's fingers twitched on his tea cup. Matthew and Lars looked over at them curiously.

"I hate faeries," was the statement from Aksel. He leaned his cheek insolently against his knuckles. He scooted his axe handle a bit closer to his chair. Xiang inclined his head slightly, the closest to agreement he'd get, not wanting to offend the strange man who could conjure things from thin air.

"Ah," said Arthur, a touch amused. "Perhaps you haven't met the right ones." He crooked his finger, and the crystal ball floated closer. It glowed, from deep within, and he stared into it, its violet light reflecting off of his eyes. "Inge, can I have a word?"

"Certainly," the voice floated out from the ball and, abruptly, the faerie was there. He'd appeared without a sound, floating in the middle of the table. His eyes scanned the people and halted on Aksel's face, slid to Yao and went hard. His lips pressed together tightly.

"Hey, you. I never got a chance to take care of you properly last time," Aksel greeted jovially. He gripped his axe handle and moved to stand.

"Aksel," Xiang said, his tone sharp. He reached over, gripping the back of the man's coat and Aksel looked down at him with surprise and incredulity. "Mr. Kirkland called him here." He furrowed his eyebrows. The tall blond made a rude sound and sat back down heavily with a scowl, the chair creaking under him.

Inge eyed him before looking slowly back to Arthur. "What have you called me for?" he asked.

"Your assistance." Arthur folded his hands together. "In finding someone." Inge quirked a brow up slightly, floated down until his feet touched the floor to the man's right. He placed a hand lightly on his hip.

"You, asking for my help? That's unusual." His eyes drifted across the people gathered around the table.

"It seems that we're dealing with a dangerous Talyin man planning to sacrifice people to summon demons and attempt to take over Bavonia," Arthur replied.

"Wait a second, how do you—" Yong Soo began loudly, but Yao hushed him quickly.

Inge let out a soft 'tsk' and turned his gaze to the crystal ball. "Njáll." In an instant, the other faerie appeared, his expression even, though he looked away quickly when he saw Yao. He lowered to the floor next to Inge, the click of his boots soft.

"Yes, Inge?"

"I said to call me 'brother'." Inge seemed like he was pouting for a moment before he continued, "You heard, didn't you? We're going to assist Arthur." Njáll nodded a little bit and bowed to the blond man, who inclined his head cordially. Yao supposed Arthur was quite the powerful man, to gain the assistance of faeries (reluctant to help others by default).

"Let's get started," Arthur said. The teapot vanished and the table seemed to widen even more. The crystal ball flickered and expanded as Njáll and Inge took up standing to either side of the man. They extended their hands, their eyes lighting up with the glow of faerie magic, and Arthur curled his fingers. A square of light opened up above the crystal ball and Yong Soo leaned forward interestedly, elbows on the table.

Arthur's lips were pressed together tightly, glowing green eyes narrowed. He crooked his fingers and the glowing square flickered, focused on a dingy room. It was on someone's feet, clad with heavy black boots. Yao inhaled a bit in anticipation., Xiang bit his lower lip. Aksel even looked interested, staring. The square flickered, moved up, up over a long scarf, and then to the back of a pale-haired head, a thick hat pulled over it. "Come on," Arthur hissed quietly.

The figure in the square turned slightly and Yao felt something within him jerk with fear as violet eyes seemed to see them all. A high-pitched, almost delighted laugh escaped the man, and then Arthur was tumbling backwards, gasping and pressing his fingers to his temple. The light had disappeared, and the crystal ball fell with a muffled 'thunk' onto the table.

Without knowing why, Yao found himself shaking, fear curling cold and insistent in his chest. He reached out next to him, found Yong Soo's arm and closed his hand tightly over his through the fabric of his sleeve. "Brother?" he asked, voice hushed and quickly becoming worried.

Njáll and Inge seemed pale themselves, thought they knelt to help Arthur to his feet. The man's breaths were uneven and he ran a hand through his hair. He looked around at them seriously, Matthew's hands clenched into tight fists, Lars leaning against him comfortingly—Matthew had never seen Arthur fall back like that when using his magic before.

"I know who you're dealing with. His name is Ivan," Arthur said evenly. "But I can't help you find him."

Aksel stiffened slightly, looking at him with his lip curling slightly. A pale hand stopped him from standing up—Xiang's.

Inge was smoothing a hand gently over Njáll's cheek—the pale-haired faerie seemed tired, his eyelids struggling to stay up. He leaned slightly against Inge, wearily. "We'll be going now, Arthur," he said, and they were gone.

"Now what?" Lars said with a soft growl, hand pressing over his eyes.

"I never said there wasn't someone else you could ask," Arthur said after a dragging pause.

"Why didn't you say that _sooner_?" Yong Soo exclaimed. He squeezed Yao's hand and shot the older man a wide grin. It was weakly returned. "C'mon, cough it up, old man!"

Arthur gave him an offended look and Matthew spluttered apologies quickly for Yong Soo's words. "Well, I suppose you can just ask Gilbert to help you," said the man eventually with a sniff, folding his arms over his chest.

"_Gilbert_?"

The exclamation came from both Matthew and Yao. At it, when they realised they hadn't been the only ones to blurt the name, they looked at each other, Matthew blinking rapidly and Yao tilting his head slightly to one the side with confusion.

* * *

**END CHAPTER 10**

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**  
Gilbert. That's all we need to say about the next chapter.


	12. Chapter Eleven

New characters: Gilbert (Prussia, or East Germany)

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

* * *

Gilbert was a recluse, an eccentric, often called a psychopath by even those who knew him, and he knew damn well everything. Yao had first met him years and years ago. He'd introduced himself with a cocky salute and a devil's grin, offering his 'services' for whenever Yao found he had need of them. The 'services' meant selling his information for a hefty sum (at the time, Yao hadn't a coin to his name—later, he'd bought information sporadically for varying prices and found the information was detailed and exact), but it was worth it.

When asked, Matthew said nothing about how he knew Gilbert. He just averted his eyes and went a bit red.

Understandably, Lars began to get worried.

Problem with Gilbert was that you wouldn't find him unless he _wanted_ you to find him. He was impossible to track down. There was no mailing address, no inn they could call on, nobody that they could send out to fetch him. They'd asked Arthur, but he had replied, crankily, "I used too much energy just trying to see that madman and you expect me to try and find _Gilbert_?"

They'd gone to an inn—Matthew refused to ask Alfred to stay in the castle—and Yao found himself in a room with Aksel, Xiang and Yong Soo. Lars still didn't trust Aksel enough to sleep in the same room with him (even while Matthew exasperatedly said Aksel hadn't even _done_ anything to them).

Going about their respective businesses (Aksel started cleaning his axe, Yong Soo was stretched out on the bed), Yao hadn't expect Xiang to suddenly ask: "Are you a bounty hunter?"

Aksel's shoulders jerked and he turned his bright blue eyes on Yao.

Quickly, he lifted his hands, shaking his head. "No, no, I'm not a bounty hunter," Yao told him. Aksel eyed him, eventually decided he wasn't lying, and went back to cleaning his axe. "Xiang, why did you ask—"

"_Were_ you a bounty hunter?" Xiang said, cutting him off neatly. Yao fell silent and Yong Soo looked up from the bed curiously at him. "You know a lot of people. Even if you're a merchant, to know such odd people, have some owe you favours, to know about faeries and everything else…"

Yao didn't say anything for a long time. Yong Soo sat up, resting his palms on the bed between his folded legs. "Brother?" he encouraged, blinking at him.

A sigh. "A long time ago," Yao answered.

"Gave it up?" Aksel asked, peering down at his axe and scraping something suspiciously red from chips in its blade.

"Five years ago. Don't ask why." Yong Soo slid off the edge of his bed and walked over to Yao's. The man looked up at him inquiringly but yelped when he was toppled back on the bed, a heavy, warm body on top of his own, arms wrapped around him snugly. "G-get off, Yong Soo!"

"No," Yong Soo said into his ear. His voice became quieter, "You can tell me, Yao…about whatever happened before, you know! Why you gave up being a bounty hunter. I love you, after all!" Yao swallowed—both at the use of his name and at the words. Like always, his body grew warm at the earnest, unafraid exclamation of affection.

"Off," Yao said with reluctance, pushing at Yong Soo's sturdy chest. Yong Soo reluctantly drew back but flopped onto Yao's bed with a declaration of "I'm sleeping here tonight!" Yao didn't have it in him to protest, no matter if Xiang sighed and shook his head with mock exasperation or how much Aksel snickered.

* * *

_Cheep._

Yao opened his eyes slightly with a sleepy sound. Yong Soo was stretched out in a sprawl next to him, limbs thrown everywhere, his arm resting across Yao's stomach. He looked around for the noise, yawning slightly and combing his fingers through his loose hair. He felt something sitting on his chest through the blankets and looked down.

He stared at the fluffy yellow bird sitting there. It stared back, tilted its head, and let out another chirp.

"Let's have drumsticks, brother…" Yong Soo looked like he was going to start drooling in his sleep. Yao grimaced and sat up on his arms, the younger man jostled beside him, as the bird let out another cheep, ruffling its wings and straightening up. It hopped around on the blankets insistently.

"You're Gilbert's, aren't you?" Yao asked it quietly. It looked as pleased as a bird could look and chirruped, body bouncing slightly. Yao sat up, Yong Soo making a noise of complaint as his arm was knocked away from his waist. He opened up one of his brown eyes, looking up sleepily.

"What's up…?" he yawned.

"Gilbert—he's sending for me," Yao told him quietly, slipping his feet out of bed. "You stay here. Go back to sleep." Yong Soo was suddenly wide awake, tumbling out of the bed and scooping his shirt off the floor. He pulled it over his head, the sleeves flopping. "Yong Soo?"

"I'm definitely coming!" he declared. Yao made a 'shh' noise at him—not wanting to wake Xiang and Aksel—and Yong Soo clapped a hand over his mouth with an apologetic grin. The bird fluttered over to the window and wriggled out through the crack it had come in through. Yao slid his feet into his slippers and walked out of the inn room, nearly bowling into Lars, who glanced down at him and Yong Soo with quirked eyebrows.

"It came for you, too?" Matthew questioned. At the nod, he smiled a bit and indicated they should go, leading the way down the stairs and into the cold night air. Yao shivered and Yong Soo moved to wrap an arm around his shoulders, but he ducked away from it, cheeks warming.

The bird fluttered down in front of them, seemed to look them all over. Then it turned, flapping away as the four followed after it. It led them away from the inn, down a dark alley (Yong Soo kept looking around expectantly for a trap), and out into an empty plaza. It perched on the edge of the fountain—unused for many years—and sat there contentedly, puffing up its feathers for warmth.

"Nobody's here," Yong Soo said, pointing out the obvious. Yao walked over to sit on the edge of the empty fountain.

"I'm sure Gilbert will be along when he waAAAH." They all jumped at Matthew shout, Lars whipping around and instinctively reaching for his gun. He paused as he saw a pale, silver-haired man, his arm wrapped around the blond man's waist, his chin propped up on Matthew's shoulder, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Eh—_Gilbert_!"

"Long time no see," remarked the man casually, looking at Yao. His red eyes gleamed with amusement, teeth flashing. "I heard you've been keeping yourself busy."

"Yeah, it's hilarious to you," Yao said with a sigh. "I get it."

"Mind letting go of him?" Lars asked the man—Gilbert—whose arm was still around Matthew's waist. Lars got an insolent look, and then Gilbert grinned wolfishly.

"No, I'm good," he said. "Don't you have something to ask me?" He ignored Matthew, who had begun to wriggle in his hold, making faces and pushing at his arm. It didn't budge an inch. Lars looked irritated.

"Yeah!" Yong Soo raised his sleeves. "How'd you know?"

He got a strange look. "You sure do know how to pick them, Yao." Yao pressed his lips together and glared a little at him. "But, I know fucking everything, kid." He grinned and looped his other arm around Matthew's waist and the blond sighed, just giving up, his head hanging. "So? Gonna ask me?"

"What do you want?" Yao asked him. "I know you don't do anything for free."

"Hmmm." Gilbert looked thoughtful. Then, he shook Matthew around a little in his arms. "_This_ will do just fine." Both Lars and Matthew made indignant noises, the former moving forward. Gilbert pulled Matthew back closer to him, grinning. "I'm kidding."

"Seriously, Gilbert." Yao eyed him apprehensively. "What is it you want?"

"All your money," said the man.

Yao stared at him. "_All_ of it?"

"Yup."

"How about," started Matthew, yelping and stuttering briefly when Gilbert gave him a squeeze, "s-something from the royal palace, instead? You can have my royal circlet."

"A circlet? Is it pure gold?" Gilbert asked, grinning.

"Um, yes…with rubies and pearls." Matthew let out a sigh of relief when Gilbert slid his arms away from his middle, letting him free.

"That'll do," he said approvingly. "Some creep named Ivan from Talyin, right?" He grinned and leaned casually back against a wall, stretching out his legs. "I already know how you can get there, the way to his base, and how you can get in." He folded his hands behind his neck. "So, what do you want for the circlet?"

"All of it!" Yong Soo said, looking at him oddly.

"Ahahaha! I'm not that generous." Gilbert grinned enormously. Matthew and Yao sighed in unison; Lars looked thoroughly annoyed by his attitude. "You want it all, you'll have to give me more." He quirked up his eyebrows, smirking slightly.

"What do you really want, Gilbert?" Matthew asked tiredly. "I don't remember your information being _this_ expensive."

Gilbert waggled a finger. "Hey, this is valuable information. People have been killed over it." He rotated his shoulder and eyed Matthew appraisingly. "As to what I want…"

Lars shifted forward protectively in front of Matthew. Gilbert snorted.

"Let's see," he drawled. "I want…one night." He held up a finger.

"One night?" began Yao before it dawned on him and he flushed. "O-oh." Lars growled from deep in his chest, narrowing his eyes, his mouth already forming the word 'no'.

"Hey," Gilbert said to Lars, "what're _you_ thinking about? I haven't had one of his meals for _years_. So give him to me for a night—I'm gonna make him work until my place is cleaner than that fucking castle and I've had enough to eat for a year." He grinned arrogantly and Matthew groaned.

"Of course," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Deal!" Yong Soo exclaimed. Yao and Matthew made angry noises at him as Gilbert clapped his hands together.

"Great!" he said, smugly.

"Hold on a second—all of us didn't—" spluttered Lars.

"No use," Matthew said miserably. "Once someone says that, it's pretty much binding for Gilbert." He sighed loudly. "The information?" The man pushed himself off the wall, grinning. The bird had flown over, nestling down into his hair, and he placed his fists on his hips, puffing up his chest.

"I'll have it sent to you! Isn't safe to pass this shit around on the street!" Gilbert said. "I expect that circlet soon." He grinned. "I'll be in touch after you guys get back for the rest of my payment." He looked over at Matthew, who sighed. As he turned to go, he paused suddenly and looked back at Yao. "There's a man on the inside, pretending to work for Ivan but supplying me with information."

Yao looked at him with confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"

"'Cause it's Kiku. You know, your old partner." When Yao's whole body had gone taut, his eyes wide, Gilbert turned and waved a hand in farewell, disappearing into a road leading from the plaza. Lars looked after him with an expression of dislike, Matthew combing his fingers through his hair, and Yong Soo stared from the two of them to Yao slowly.

* * *

'_I never thought I'd hear that name again,'_ thought Yao moodily as they made their way back towards the inn, the dark road empty and silent save for them. Lars and Matthew were further ahead, talking quietly with their heads close together. Yao was lost in his own thoughts and paused in surprise when warm arms looped around him from behind, a face pressing against the back of his neck.

"Yong Soo?" Yao asked softly, surprised. The arms tightened and now, he could practically feel the unhappiness radiating off the younger man.

"You had a partner?" was the muffled question. Yao nodded and the arms squeezed slightly, pulling him back against a sturdy frame. "You weren't—I mean, you didn't—" Yao's silence was inquiry enough, and Yong Soo's voice went a bit quieter. "You weren't like Lars and Matthew…right?"

Yao balked at the thought. "No! My gods, no! He was five years younger than me—I couldn't imagine—"

"I'm seven years younger than you," Yong Soo said with a tiny sigh. Yao paused, turned his head to try and see his face. It bothered him, after all?

"He was just a child," Yao soothed him. "He was like my brother. I had no romantic feelings for him." Yong Soo pressed his face against the side of his neck, exhaled. "And this is different—we're both adults."

"But aren't we like brothers?" Yong Soo said moodily. Scowling, the man shoved at his arms suddenly and he let out a startled, unhappy noise. "Wait, I—" He stopped, mouth suddenly covered by Yao's, pale hands pressing against his cheeks and holding him in place.

"If I thought of you as a brother," Yao said fiercely as he pulled away (and lowered down off his toes; damn that height difference), "I wouldn't do that. Don't decide things on your own, Yong Soo." He huffed, turning his head to the side. "_Honestly_."

"Yao!" Yong Soo flung his arms around him again, kissed his face, his hair, his neck, anything in front of him. "I love you!"

Settling against him, into the touches, Yao allowed himself the moment. "Me too."

* * *

**END ****CHAPTER ELEVEN**

* * *

I adore Gilbert, srsly. But he's probably not gonna be back for a while. If at all—no! I will include him again!  
Making poor Lars' life difficult.


	13. Chapter Twelve

New characters: Roderich (Austria)

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

* * *

Yao didn't want Yong Soo or Xiang to accompany them on their (kind of suicidal) mission to Talyin. Ivan's base was in the small, rural town of Urlan—so Gilbert's information said—and there were various secret entrances all over the town. Most of the town's citizens had been taken down as prisoners and replaced with the people who worked for him so that the warlords that presided over Talyin would overlook the seemingly innocuous town. There was a resistance staging small attacks against Ivan, but they were only keeping him occupied and distracted, slowing his climb to his true goal. They couldn't defeat him on their own.

It was too dangerous for Yong Soo and Xiang, so Yao thought. They were young, not even twenty years old yet, with their whole lives ahead of them. The idea of them getting hurt, witnessing the horrors of battle, he didn't want that to happen. However, Yong Soo was adamant about not leaving his 'lover' (he'd taken to calling him that, loudly, in the last day, in front of as many people as possible much to Yao's embarrassment) and Xiang refused to stay behind.

Eventually, Aksel, lounging indolently on the windowsill in their inn room said, in a loud voice, "Shut up already, brother—they're coming. I'll protect 'em if you can't, how about that?" He got a surprised glance from both young men, and a wide-eyed stare from Yao. "Promise on my axe."

"Thank you, Aksel," Xiang said and the blond man combed a hand through his spiky hair with an easy grin.

So that problem was solved. Xiang was practiced in martial arts (thanks to his deceased mother and father), but Yong Soo didn't have a weapon. He claimed his father taught him how to shoot, though, and he took a couple of lessons in martial arts from Xiang's mother. He said he was tougher than he looked, and Yao had to believe him—he was very muscular, after all, broad-shouldered and sturdy.

Matthew suggested they get weapons from the palace armoury, and they went there immediately. They found the palace crowded and encountered Alfred after a while.

"—trying to skip out on lessons! Even if you're a king, you still need to know these things, Your Majesty, what if there is nobody around to help you—"

He was being lectured by a dark-haired man with glasses, in front of the throne room doors. Alfred was dressed in commoner's clothing, crown missing (he'd obviously been trying to sneak out). They got barely a glance initially, but when the man shot a look over at the group lingering there, he stopped his rant and eyed Matthew closely. "Prince Matthew?" he questioned politely.

"Oh." Matthew blinked. "Good afternoon, Roderich."

"It's been a long time," Roderich said evenly. "How is the commoner lifestyle suiting you?" Alfred had obviously been telling him about Matthew's visit previously, for he looked unsurprised (or maybe he looked like that regularly, Yao couldn't hazard a guess).

"It's suiting me quite well, thanks! We came to get some weapons," Matthew replied cheerfully. Roderich quirked an eyebrow and Matthew proceeded to tell him a (condensed) version of events. The man, who they learned was the royal advisor, looked over at Alfred very slowly, scowling a bit. "Ah, it's okay, I already chewed him out."

"Alright, if you did," Roderich said, frowning and folding his arms. Lars figured this was whom Matthew had learned to rant from. "Help yourselves to the weaponry. Vash should be down there."

"Bye-bye, king," Yong Soo taunted as he followed the others. "Have fun doing paperwork while we're off being _heroes_."

Alfred looked over at him suddenly, sharply. "Wait a second." They halted at his tone of voice and Matthew turned around. "Did you just say…" A dramatic pause. "…_heroes_?"

"Yes?" Yong Soo replied doubtfully, not liking the look in his eyes.

"A hero…" Alfred looked pensive.

"Alfred?" Matthew asked cautiously.

"I'm coming with you!" Alfred said suddenly, loudly, throwing up his arms. Matthew balked. "I want to be a hero! Can you imagine? A king _and_ a hero! Saving princesses on horseback! Swooping down out of the sky! Defeating dragons with nothing but a sword!"

"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff."

"Dragons are different," Alfred said dismissively. "Roderich! Pack my stuff!"

The advisor looked like he was going to tell Alfred to pack his own stuff and then shove it all in a very uncomfortable place. "Your Majesty," he growled, cheek developing a tic, "are you _really_ going off on some wild mission and leaving your country _without a king_?"

"You can be king while I'm gone," Alfred said. He pulled his crown out of his pocket and plopped it onto Roderich's head.

"_Being a king isn't just some job you can pass onto others by giving them a crown, Your Majesty!"_

"Whaaaat? Why not?" Alfred whined. "Come _on_!"

"Let's go—they're going to be at that a while. I doubt Roderich will let him come anyway. Stupid idiot with a hero complex…" With Matthew's words, they followed him down the hall as the argument floated through the air after them.

* * *

_Bang!_

Yong Soo lowered the gun, peering proudly at the target at the other end of the field. He'd gotten it in the designated place, but Vash looked over at him critically regardless. The blond man was standing by Yong Soo while the others looked through the weaponry. All except for Aksel, who said that using anything but his axe would be 'adultery' and was currently just stretched out on the grass by the building, enjoying the sun. He said he had to save his energy for 'that crazy bastard'.

"You're standing too stiffly. You aren't doing exactly what I instructed you to do," the royal guard's sniper said. "You aren't playing around. This isn't a game—and your target will be moving. You have to be _exactly_ where I tell you and you can't hesitate. Do you understand me?"

"Uh—yessir!" Yong Soo saluted awkwardly. Vash turned towards the targets.

"Then, once more."

* * *

"Yong Soo needs that discipline," Yao said approvingly as he glanced over at the two. "He doesn't realise what kind of dangerous situation we're going into…" He sighed quietly and looked at Xiang, who was gazing at a pair of gloves with studs on the knuckles.

"Yong Soo is very naive. I don't want this to change him," Xiang replied. There was an odd tone in his voice that gave Yao pause.

"Have you seen things like this before, Xiang?"

Xiang was quiet for a long time, lifting the gloves off the shelves and holding them in his hands. "I was born in Yailso. When I was, the First Yailso-Gleichen War was going on. Do you know much about it?" Yao shook his head. "Be glad you do not. I was surrounded by destruction until my parents manage to escape the country when I was eight. I saw much death and unspeakable things, but Yong Soo has always lived in Dorado, in a peaceful, innocent environment."

"I see." Yao looked at the swords on the wall. "I'm sorry, Xiang."

Xiang shook his head slightly. "No. It's alright. I lived in peace when my parents went to Dorado and I met Yong Soo for the first time. I'd never seen such an innocent, stupid boy before." He laughed quietly at the memory. "I want to look after him. We're family, after all."

"I want to protect him, too." Yao met his dark gaze with his own. "We can do this, Xiang."

"Yes, brother." The boy bowed his head to him and Yao found himself smiling broadly and reaching out to ruffle his hair.

"Ah!" the devastated cry came from Yong Soo. Yao looked over to see him staring at them, stricken. "Xiang! Don't you dare try to steal brother from me! You've got Aksel!"

"I've _what_?" Xiang said, and for the first time Yao saw a surprised widening of his eyes and a tiny flush to his cheekbones.

"You idiot!" Vash growled. "Stop getting distracted! This is why you can't hit that target properly! I'm not letting you leave until you can hit every shot I tell you to!" He smacked the back of Yong Soo's head, eliciting a yelp and a whine, but the young man turned to get back to it, mumbling under his breath.

* * *

The _Howling Rose_ was an enormous ship, one the likes of those in the Eirske Port hadn't seen for quite a long time. It was equipped with cannons and had everything you'd expect from a reputable naval vessel. Except, it didn't belong to the Bavonia navy—it belonged to a familiar man with familiar hair, familiar clothes and a familiar rose held between the fingers of one hand.

"Good afternoon, my friends!" Francis greeted them cheerfully as they boarded the ship. Xiang and Yong Soo got shivers, Aksel curled his lip, Lars stared, Matthew smiled slowly and Yao sighed. "I shall be your captain today—well, the one in charge, there's someone else steering the ship—on our long voyage to Talyin!" He spun dramatically, his coat fanning out around his ankles.

"Hello, Francis!" Matthew exclaimed. Francis perked up and strode over to him, kissing each of his cheeks.

"My dear cousin, how have you been?"

As they chatted, Yao scanned the ship and paused. Sadiq was sitting on the side of the ship, fingers adjusting his mask, raggedy cloak flapping in the breeze, one leg dangling off the side. He approached him. "What are you doing here, Sadiq?" He wasn't displeased to see him, of course, but…

"Didn't you once say, years ago," drawled Sadiq, "that bounty hunters should help each other when the situation calls for it? Even though your partner got pissed with you, you were always like that. You wanted us to cooperate even while most of us were too pigheaded and stubborn to." He rubbed his jaw. "I'm gonna help you out this time. Francis, too—Gilbert told him a few days ago about this and he sailed over as soon as he could."

"Gilbert always anticipates these things," Yao muttered, leaning against the ship next to Sadiq.

"He's crazy, but he knows people." He grinned. "You should've read that letter sooner, saved yourself the trouble."

"It's not trouble. I met a lot of good people."

"Found yourself a boyfriend, anyway." Sadiq ruffled his hair and Yao let out a protesting noise. "Yeah, I know he is. He's givin' me the stink eye right now." Indeed, Yong Soo was doing just that. Yao couldn't help but laugh and shake his head good-naturedly. "Let's take this Ivan guy down. Your farewell mission, so we'll say, eh?"

"What, I'm a bounty hunter again now?" Yao asked with a small laugh.

"How big d'you think the bounty on this bastard's head is? I could buy a fucking country with it," Sadiq said, waving his hands expressively. Yao made a face at him. "What?"

"You're not doing this for me," he accused. "You're doing this for money. You haven't changed, Sadiq."

"C'mon…" Sadiq laughed, however, and Yao couldn't help but smile.

Shouting attracted his attention and he turned. The ship was preparing to set off, the crew rushing about, calling to one another. Francis was beaming around, apparently excited about the journey. Yong Soo sulkily marched over to Yao and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, eyeing Sadiq, who grinned amusedly.

* * *

Matthew, walking along the deck, paused by the side of the ship and looked toward the port incredulously. "Matthew?" Lars questioned.

"What the _hell_?" he spluttered. Alfred was dashing down the port, a bag on his back and a gun in one hand. He waved his hands furiously, like he just expected the ship to stop. "Go back to the castle, you idiot!" Alfred was grinning widely and he reached the end of the dock. "Al!"

He leapt, fingers catching the end of the ramp where it was being lifted onto the ship. He clutched onto it and the crew lifting up the ramp stumbled under the sudden weight. "Whoa!" Alfred exclaimed, wavering. A rope smacked him in the face and he yelped, glancing up. Arthur was standing on the deck suddenly, annoyed, dangling the rope, which the king grabbed onto hastily. With Matthew's help, the two set to pulling him onto the ship.

"When did _you_ get here?" Francis asked Arthur, eyebrows furrowing.

"Just now, you drunken wine bastard," Arthur replied with a scathing edge to his voice. "Heave, Matthew! By the gods, have you gained weight, Alfred?"

"Hey!"

The two of them—with Francis reluctantly lending a hand—towed Alfred up onto the ship where he sat, panting loudly for breath. Matthew plopped down heavily onto the deck in front of him, frowning at his brother. "Why did you come?" Matthew asked. Arthur crouched down next to them both.

"I, uh…" For once, Alfred was at a loss for words. "I…" He looked at Matthew. "It's 'cause of me you left home, right?"

Matthew blinked slightly at the question. He looked down. "Yeah."

"'Cause you were always getting mistaken for me? And it made you miserable?"

Pressing his lips together, Matthew nodded slightly. He was startled when his brother seized him around the neck in a one-armed hug, pressing his head to his shoulder. "I'm gonna make it up to you!" he declared. "I'm gonna be the hero and make sure we take this guy down and we all get back safe and sound! And I'm gonna be an even better king when we get home! You'll be able to leave the country safely in my hands! Okay?"

"Al…" Matthew blinked against his brothers' shoulder. His arms wrapped around him tightly. "Okay."

Nobody spared a thought for poor Roderich, who was quite nearly having an aneurysm when he found out the king had snuck out of the palace and left the advisor in charge with a note that said 'YOU CAN DO IT :)'.

Arthur made a snuffling noise and pulled an embroidered handkerchief out of his pocket. He blew his nose loudly into it. "You've grown up just a little bit, you bloody idiot," he said to Alfred.

"Oh, Artie, when'd you get there?"

"I helped _pull you up, you tosser_!"

* * *

"S'kinda nice," Aksel said to himself, watching the group (Alfred now laughing like an idiot while Arthur berated him, Matthew smiling at it all and Francis rolling his eyes).

"Hm. It is."

He jumped and whipped around. Inge looked up at him, Njáll at his side.

"GODDAMN FAERIES," was the eloquent statement.

"Arthur said you couldn't fight magic with simple human weapons," Inge remarked casually. "So myself and Njáll are coming along in case he needs the extra strength. We were becoming rather bored lately, anyway." He quirked his eyebrow up at Aksel, almost mocking, though his cool expression was hard to read. "I hope we can get along."

Aksel looked down at them narrowly. Then he sighed loudly and grinned, looking up at the sky. "As long as you don't screw around or get in my way, we'll be just fine," he stated.

"The same goes for you," Inge replied. Aksel laughed.

* * *

"Ivan, here we come!"

"Yong Soo, get down from there. You'll fall in the ocean."

"No way, Xiang!"

"Hey, by the way, you ass! I'm still not approving of you being with Mattie!"

"Does that look like it matters to me?"

"Alfred, don't talk to Lars like that!"

"Wine bastard, get the hell away from me. You're standing too close."

"Oho? You'd best not talk to me like that or I'll write a sonnet about your cursed food and spread it across the land. You know I can."

"How about this—you get me grog and I'll forgive you for all that faerie shit from before."

"I don't really need your forgiveness."

"How about ya do it so I won't hack you up?"

"That'd be quite unwise of you."

"Lively bunch," Sadiq commented, scratching at his hair with a large hand, grinning regardless. Yao was inclined to agree, watching the friendly chaos. Switching his gaze to the ocean, he had to wonder about something else. And wonder _why_.

Why was Kiku in Talyin, giving Gilbert information?

More importantly, why had he changed? When had he started to help people?

* * *

**END CHAPTER TWELVE**

* * *

Different perspective next chapter?  
You bet!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

In stories, you should always follow the action. While shenanigans on Francis' ship may be funny, following the action here gives me a chance to introduce many other characters

New characters: Heracles (Greece), Gupta (Egypt), Margaux (Belgium), Eduard (Estonia), James (Australia), Elizaveta (Hungary), Feliks (Poland), Lien (Vietnam), Peter (Sealand), Raivia (Latvia), Toris (Lithuania), André (Cuba), Fen (Taiwan), Antonio (Spain)

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**

* * *

**  
Across the Aiomil Sea, in the cold country of Talyin, in a run-down town, a man crouched behind a decrepit old house. A gun was held in his hands. His hair was dark brown and thick, waving slightly in a cool gust of air. He wore a scuffed, military-esque uniform, and his eyes were narrowed slightly. Another man was crouched next to him, his eyes golden and cat-like, knives held between his slim fingers.

The brown-haired man saw something as he peered around the house and nodded slightly to himself. He gestured with his fingers and the man with the knives darted out from behind the house. He threw one and a heavyset man opposite their position gurgled as it thudded into his throat and fell back with a thud onto the ground. The man rolled and halted behind another building as a spray of gunfire hit where he'd been, glancing back at the brown-haired man, whose expression was approving.

"Heracles—!"

The call came from a woman with blonde hair, skidding to a stop alongside him. She gasped a bit for breath. He looked at her worriedly. "Margaux?" he questioned.

"Eduard's been hit," she said, heaving for breath. "And more are coming. We should pull back to base."

"Eduard?"

"Just in the shoulder," she assured at his alarmed glance. "But they've got reinforcements and we're out here alone."

"Alright." Heracles looked over at the man with gold eyes, jabbing with his fingers, indicating the land beyond the village. He got a nod and then the man was off, dodging around buildings. Heracles straightened and followed him, slowing whenever Margaux had to stop for breath, ceaselessly scanning their surroundings. He noticed that she was favouring her side. "Were you shot?"

"Bruise—might be crack in my ribs," she gasped. "Grabbed hold of me. Eduard got hurt helping me."

"Where is he?"

"Back at base—James and Elizaveta have taken him back." Heracles nodded and pulled her down abruptly behind a dumpster. Gunshots pattered off the other side and he shifted upwards quickly, shooting once, twice, and there was a muffled thump. The attacker taken care of, they continued on.

Their boots crunched over snow the further they got out of the town and the closer to the wilderness. Trees grew up raggedly, many of them shorn by bullets and other weapons. Heracles slipped among these, looked over his shoulder to assure of no followers. Margaux took the lead as he followed behind, clearing their tracks as they went, his eyes roving and keen.

Eventually, they came to a pile of snow. Heracles leant down and found an iron hoop, pulled up and a hatch opened. He indicated she should go down the stairs. She did, with visible effort (clutching at the wall) and he followed, letting it close behind him.

"Feliks," he called when they'd reached the bottom step. A blond man came hurrying up, letting out a 'tsk' as he saw Margaux.

"Not, like, the best of days," he commented wryly. He led her over to where another blond with glasses was getting his shoulder poked and prodded at by a dark-haired woman with a long ponytail. Heracles stood where he was for a moment before sinking onto the bottom step. He flattened his hands together and pressed his chin against the tips of his fingers with a heavy sigh.

"Heracles. Eat." The golden-eyed man handed him a wrapped package. He had seemed to melt out of thin air.

"Did everyone else, Gupta?" Heracles replied, glancing up at his second-in-command.

"Does it matter? Eat." It was pushed into his hands and Gupta stared him down sternly until he opened it reluctantly. "You _will_ rest tonight. No more dozing off during strategy meetings."

Heracles' lips twitched up slightly at the corners and he nodded his head. Gupta walked away to see to everyone else, and some of the cats Heracles had rescued from Urlan came slinking up and rubbing against his legs. He scratched one behind the ears gently, eliciting purrs. As he did, he heard a soft thump from up the stairs, on the hatch. He glanced up and rose to his feet, walking up the steps quietly, standing below the hatch and listening.

_Tap-tip-tap-tap._

He relaxed and reached up, pushing it up. The man outside took a step back. "Kiku," Heracles said, "you're here. Come down." The small, dark-haired man nodded and walked down the steps. His arms were heaped with packages and bags, which Heracles took from him. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," replied Kiku. Their eyes locked for a moment before he glanced to the side, unused to such scrutiny.

"You've brought medicine and bandages," Heracles murmured. "We were running low."

"I noticed last time…there's food, too."

"You are being certain to be careful, right? If Ivan finds out—" Kiku shook his head slightly, ending his words before he finished voicing them.

"I am being careful. Don't worry about me." He flinched with surprise as Heracles leaned over, nose pressing into his hair briefly before he kissed the side of his head. Kiku glanced up at the small, quiet smile on the man's face, and then quickly down at his feet, embarrassed.

"I will worry," said Heracles simply. He carried the packages over to the dark-haired woman with the ponytail. "Lien, more medicine." She looked up, nodded approvingly, and took it from him. Eduard's lips twisted into a reassuring, though pained, smile when Heracles gave him a worried glance.

"This is nothing," he assured. Margaux winced where she was sitting next to him, getting her midsection wrapped up by Feliks, who was clucking his tongue.

"You're being too rough!" she complained.

"You're, like, a man. You can take it," scoffed Feliks. He looked up at Heracles with a slightly cross expression. "Also, leader, I've got, like, a bone to pick with you."

"Later," Heracles implored. Feliks nodded after a moment, grudgingly.

He made his way over to a boy sitting on his own, scribbling something in a thick journal with sheets of paper sticking out of it here and there. He was shaking slightly (ceaselessly) as he wrote, though not out of any control of his own. "Raivis, how is it coming?" Heracles asked him, ignoring the jump his sudden words got.

"G-good," he said. His smile wavered. "Someday everyone will read this—the history of Talyin and the Resistance." A younger boy was sitting next to him, swinging his legs.

"I'm helping!" he said, proudly.

"Y-yes, Peter has a very good memory." The boy seemed smug at Raivis' praise, chest swelling. They'd rescued Peter from the village when his parents were trying to escape from being captured. He seemed to be handling his parents' absence very well, and having him around seemed to quell Raivis' shakes somewhat—he was harmless while somehow managing to be a bolstering, overconfident presence.

"I hope Bavonia sends people soon," Peter said absentmindedly, adjusting his cap.

Raivis bit his lip. "I-I'm sure they will," he told him with a smile. Heracles turned away wordlessly and Kiku followed after him as he walked through a small tunnel to the storage room, where they kept the food.

"Heracles," he began, quietly.

The man turned his head slightly after he'd set down the parcels, flashed a half-hearted smile. "It's been two weeks since Toris went to find that man—your Wang Yao, and was captured by Ivan. Bavonia has still hasn't come, and…I wonder how long we can hold out." He blinked slightly. "Their spirits are falling—how would we fight demons without any magic of our own?"

"Yao can be trusted," Kiku said to him, feeling a familiar rush of guilt when he thought of his former 'partner'. He'd thought Yao too weak at the time, always trying to make peace with other hunters, to get them all to work with one another and split things evenly. So he'd done an inexcusable thing to prove the world couldn't just be all good, out of his own desire and want for power. It was a shameful memory and even though he'd only been fifteen, he couldn't forgive himself. He had never really felt like he was a child, so he didn't think it appropriate to use his age at that time as an excuse.

Kiku stepped forward and took Heracles' hands. "If Bavonia won't come, then he'll come himself." He blinked up at him. Heracles leant over, wrapped strong arms around the smaller man and pressed his face into his shoulder wordlessly. Heracles was a leader, but he wasn't outspoken, brash, or even particularly aggressive. He was thoughtful and philosophical, wanted nothing but peace for the Talyin people, even after being immersed in years of sporadic, dangerous war. Spending time with him, Kiku thought he understood Yao more, understood the desire for everyone to get along when he saw what war had done to the people of the Resistance.

Footsteps crunched over the ground, headed toward them. Heracles lifted his head and turned as Feliks stepped into the storage room, frowning, hands on his hips. Heracles separated from Kiku reluctantly.

"We really do need to talk," he said, tone flat. "About Toris."

"Toris."

"When are we gonna go rescue him?" Feliks slashed a hand through the air. "He's just down there in, like, Ivan's dungeon! Are we just gonna leave him there?"

"No." Heracles stepped away from Kiku, padded softly towards the small blond. Feliks shrunk back instinctively, but Heracles laid a large hand on top of his head gently. "André, Fen and Antonio have gone to investigate." He blinked slightly down at him.

"Y-you never said anything."

"I don't know anything for certain," answered Heracles. "So I didn't say."

"Pft." Feliks swatted his hand away, but there was a little smile on his face. "I was getting mad at you for doing, like, nothing, but you've already been planning to save him." Heracles nodded. "Ha—then, I'm getting back to Margaux. Make sure she, like, doesn't try to move around or try and take over the country on her own."

"Are you going to break into Ivan's stronghold?" Kiku asked when Feliks had gone.

Heracles didn't say anything, back towards him.

"That's suicide and you know it, Heracles!" Stepping forward, the man fisted a hand in the back of his jacket. "I never took you for the reckless type!"

"I…they're my responsibility," Heracles said, looking back over his shoulder at him. "How can I just leave any of them behind? Toris did so much, too, for us." He turned around, pulled Kiku tightly against him and buried his face in his hair. "You should be getting back."

Kiku blinked against the rough material of his coat. "Yes." Even with this knowledge, he sighed, looped his arms around Heracles' waist and just held on to him, not wanting to go.

In Heldere, back in the country he grew up in, raised by Yao's parents and the boy himself, he could never have pictured this. Communicating information to Gilbert whenever a little yellow bird was sent to him, sneaking supplies to the Resistance, and thinking only of his old partner for help when Toris wondered who they could get to deliver a letter after they stumbled upon Ivan's true plan—

It was so far from the old him he wanted to laugh.

* * *

**END CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**

* * *

**  
Have some Greece/Japan. Aha.


	15. Chapter Fouteen

New characters: Lovino (South Italy—Romano)

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

* * *

The ship drifted along the coastline—Gilbert had specified a secure, hidden place on the map where they could put down anchor and not be noticed by Ivan. Yao leaned against the railing, glancing down at the water. The air was cold and chilly—in Talyin, it always seemed to be cold while in Heldere, he was used to the warmth. A grumpy man—the reluctant first mate of the ship named Lovino—had distributed thicker, padded coats to them all.

"Not fit for anyone," he'd griped, looking up at the cliffs. "You're all crazy, coming here. Oh well, I'm here too, so I guess there's nothing I can damn well do about it—fucking creep Francis. Just try not to get sick, we don't need to deal with that."

The trip over, only Sadiq got seasick, much to Aksel's amusement ("Didn't he say he wouldn't get sick right as we were leaving? What an idiot bounty hunter!" the man had crowed). Everyone else was doing well. Yong Soo had taken to doing push-ups in the morning and boxing with the air, eager to prove himself. Yao tried to hide the fact that he stared at his bare chest every time. Yong Soo caught him once, asked him cheekily if he'd been looking at his breasts, and Yao retreated down to his cabin, embarrassed.

Now the ship was slowing. Up ahead, there was a crack in the cliffs, a tiny channel leading between them. Lovino steered the ship with expertise between the cliffs, while Francis hid in his cabin because it was "too nerve-wracking". Arthur called him a 'coward' and loved it, occasionally calling advice to Lovino, who eventually just told him to shut the fuck up and let him steer the damn ship.

Soon, they were all clambering down from the ship, Sadiq coughing and stamping on the ground appreciatively with his feet. Francis leaned over the railing, smiling easily down at them.

"Keep yourselves safe!" he called cheerfully.

"Of course _you_ wouldn't be coming—weakling," Arthur said, sneering up at him.

"What, you _wanted_ me to come? My, I'm flattered, Mr. Witch." Alfred laughed loudly at Francis' words and earned himself a dirty look from Arthur.

"I'm a damn _magician_!"

"Whatever," Francis scoffed. He waved a hand at them all with an easy smile. "Make sure you follow Gilbert's instructions or else you'll be killed!"

"That doesn't make me feel better," Xiang said with a small sigh. Aksel thumped his shoulder with a rakish grin, quite excited to finally be in Talyin, and that much closer to fighting. His free hand kept twitching towards his axe. Inge and Njáll exchanged looks. Alfred rubbed his gloved hands together, grinning as well.

Yao fished Gilbert's map out of his pack, opening it up as Yong Soo peered over his shoulder. Arthur reached out and plucked it from his hands. "Leave it to me," he said simply and Yao shrugged to himself. Lars swung his gun down into the crook of his arm (for easy access) as they went, following the sandy, wet ground up. Midway up the climb, they found the small cave cut in the wall of the cliff. 'Used to be a dragon's place,' was jotted on the map in Gilbert's handwriting. Inge took the lead, lifting up his hand as light flared around one hand.

"You're good for something after all," Aksel commented.

"Like I'm sure your body will make quite a good shield for us later," Inge replied. Aksel snorted.

Lars and Matthew followed directly behind Inge, their guns now in their hands ('just in case,' Gilbert's instructions had said). Alfred tagged close after Lars, keeping an eye on him in case he tried to 'pull something'. They all fell silent and the only sound was the soft dripping of water and their splashing footsteps. Aksel, Sadiq and Arthur brought up the back of the group, Aksel occasionally turning to look behind him at the fading entrance to the tunnel. Eventually, the only light came from Inge's upraised hand as they moved onwards through the tunnel.

"Are you scared?" Yong Soo hissed to Yao.

"Not really," Yao whispered back. Yong Soo heaved a long-suffering sigh—would it hurt the man to just _cling_ onto him?

It seemed like they were in darkness for a while until light appeared before them. It was widening steadily into a circle, and Inge extinguished his light, stepping back to pad alongside Njáll, who'd been following along next to Xiang. They paused when they reached the exit and Lars and Matthew went first. The former scanned the surrounding area while Matthew looked through the scope on his gun.

"It's all good," Lars said at last, shouldering his weapon.

They found themselves emerging into a forest, or at least Yao supposed it was a forest. Half of the trees were crumpled to the ground. Snow covered the ground, but it was soft and fresh, muffling their footsteps. The trees were thick in some places, sparse in others, and Yong Soo kicked at the snow playfully, grinning.

"I'm glad it's not like the mountains," he said to Yao brightly. He took a couple of steps, suddenly let out an _oof_ and went falling down, flat on his face.

"Yong Soo?" Yao spluttered in surprise. Xiang muffled a snort but Aksel and Alfred failed to hold back laughter—at least until Arthur shushed them with an irritable noise.

"Owww—I got my foot caught in something," Yong Soo complained. He lifted said foot. Yao saw that it had hooked in an iron ring. Inge and Njáll stepped back a bit as soon as they saw it. Yao gazed at it blankly for a few moments as Arthur scanned the map behind them.

"It's not on here," he said.

"We should definitely have a look," Aksel said excitedly. Yao brushed the snow off of Yong Soo after he'd pulled him to his feet and looked doubtfully at the tall man.

"Is that the _best_ idea? Shouldn't we just continue following Gilbert's plan?" Lars said and then paused, mulling over what he had just said. Remembering his dislike for Gilbert, he shook his head and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Scratch that, let's have a look."

"_Lars_," Matthew said exasperatedly.

"It's an adventure, Mattie!" Alfred exclaimed. "We gotta explore these kinds of places!" Matthew smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. Sadiq rolled his eyes under his mask—_'kids'_.

That was all the encouragement Aksel needed and he stepped forward. He gripped the ring and yanked upwards, the hatch opening seamlessly and soundlessly as he did. They all peered at the shadowy stairs leading downwards.

"Why isn't this on the map?" Arthur muttered.

Njáll frowned slightly, cocking his head to the side as he took a step forward. Inge reached out to halt him but decided against it, letting the pale boy direct his hand towards the stairs. His hand lit up with a glow, illuminating the area below later. "I can't hear anything," he said at last. Inge drew him back slightly, closer to him.

"Let's have a look! C'mon, Xiang!" Aksel said, walking down the stairs with great, thumping footsteps. He pulled his axe loose as he went. A bit worried, Xiang pattered down after him. Alfred stomped down in their wake, excited, pushing up his glasses, which were gleaming. After a moment where they exchanged looks the rest followed, Lars looking around the wide chamber with surprise.

"The hell is this place?" he said. "It's impressive…"

"People were here until recently," Matthew said, rising up from a kneeling position on the floor. "Hmm…"

Yong Soo flounced forward despite Yao's warning hiss and looked around interestedly. "It's like a secret base!" he exclaimed. "We gotta build one when we go back to Bavonia!"

"Bavonia?" a trembling, squeaky voice rose up. They jumped slightly.

"That's right! Bavonia!" Alfred declared arrogantly, taking a step forward. "And I am the _king_ of Bavonia! Alfred!" Sadiq snorted at him. Alfred peered around interestedly for whoever had spoken. Eventually, a head poked out from behind a pile of boxes, wide-eyed, body shaking slightly.

"About time!" another voice said. Another boy popped out from behind the boxes, and Arthur looked at him with raised eyebrows. "We've been waiting _forever_!"

"P-Peter, that's a king…" said the other boy, sidling out next to him. He was still shaking.

"Hey, kid, you alright?" Sadiq asked him.

The boy wrung his hands and hurried towards them so quickly that Yao was prompted to take an alarmed step backwards. "Pu-please!" he spluttered. "The leader—Heracles—Toris is—gone to attack Ivan's base, I don't—" He swallowed thickly. "I m-m-mean, all the Resistance! Th-they've gone to try to take down Ivan!"

There was a pause. The group exchanged incredulous glances.

"Right." Arthur brought his hands together. "We should probably hurry up now."

"We'll take care of it!" Matthew hurriedly informed the shaking boy. The younger boy at his side crossed his arms with a sceptical expression.

"There aren't many of you, for an army," he said, unimpressed.

"We'll be fine," Yao said as the quivering blond glanced over at his companion and then at the group uneasily. "You two should stay here. Come, Yong Soo." He turned from where he'd been distractedly staring at some guns stacked nearby and trotted after Yao as he turned, hurrying up the steps.

"I don't suppose Gilbert's instructions took anything like this into account, did they?" Lars asked, a touch dryly, as they emerged outside. He looked around, not lifting his gun. Ivan's people were probably occupied with the people who'd gone to attack them.

"Actually, yes," Arthur replied. He got surprised looks. "It says 'if the Resistance has gone to attack Ivan, get the hell in there before they all get killed—screw sneaking around'."

* * *

**END CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

* * *

Dun dun dun.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

New characters: Natasha (Belarus), Katyusha (Ukraine), Ivan (Russia)

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

* * *

Silver flashed through the air and a man gurgled, tumbling back to the floor with a wet thud. Yao flicked the blood off his sword and looked around doubtfully. The hallway had been empty save for that one man, who had swung his gun up to point at Yao as soon as he'd emerged from around the corner.  


* * *

They'd indeed run into the base, 'screwing the sneaking'. One of the entrances—tunnelling under the grocer's shop, which had been wrecked—had already been opened. There were still bodies on the ground and Yao thought that the people looked like those who had come to Ganmu, so long ago. Hurrying, they'd followed the tunnel, hearing distant gunshots, which were fading away the longer they took. Obviously, the Resistance was pushing deeper (almost recklessly) into Ivan's base.

Emerging, they had found themselves climbing up from the ground inside a broad room. The stone walls were studded with dents and bullets, and there were people strewn over the floors. Yong Soo had tried and failed to keep back his little noise and Yao had reached back blindly to squeeze his hand.

"Holy shit," Aksel had said. "Looks like we've missed most of the action." He swung down his axe and thudded ahead. "Gotta hurry—c'mon!"

He wasn't expecting the sudden explosion of bullets. Xiang was, however, and yanked him out of the way by the back of his jacket. The shooter was crouched behind a pillar of rock, which might've been decorative at one point. Xiang pushed Aksel to the side, away from the gunfire, ducking behind a ruined pillar. Aksel hefted his axe, slammed it down in front of them, the flat of the blade partially shielding them.

Arthur moved forward, but Inge caught him by the elbow. "Conserve your magic," he said, warningly.

"We've got this," Matthew reassured him in a chipper tone, lifting his gun. Lars imitated him and they fired at the statue, the top cracking off and falling backwards. A figure rolled out from behind it, stumbling as they did and grabbing instinctively for their side. Lars froze and Matthew shot a startled look at him. "Lars?"

"No, it can't be—" he began. The woman who'd rolled out panted, looking up at them. Her expression was hard and she lifted her gun to point towards them.

Only to stop as it was caught between broad, curved blades, wrenched from her hands, and flicked it into the air. The man caught it while switching one sword to hold both in one hand. "You kids are damn rookies," Sadiq complained, standing over the woman as she stared up at him with wide eyes (she hadn't even seen him move). "Just one girl—the hell's wrong with you, kid?" He addressed Lars.

"That—I-I," sputtered Lars.

"We don't have time for this!" Alfred said, bouncing on his toes excitedly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "The king's going ahead! I'm the hero, after all!" He whooped, pulled his gun loose and dashed ahead.

"Alfred! You idiot—wait!" Matthew shouted and followed him.

"King?" said the woman.

Yao tugged at Yong Soo's sleeve and they hurried over to Aksel and Xiang, who'd been looking at one another closely. "Come on, before they get too far ahead!" he said, impatiently. Aksel rose with a growl, hefted his axe across his shoulders and dashed after the two blonds. The three followed in his wake, leaving Lars to stare mutedly at the woman, his feet feeling stuck to the floor.

"C'mon," Sadiq said, sheathing his two curved swords. He didn't even look at the woman, her hand still resting tightly on her side, obviously in no state to come after them. Arthur nodded tightly and Njáll and Inge hurried after him as they plunged towards the corridor.

"King…of Bavonia? He's really here, at last?" the woman asked Lars shakily. She blinked uncertainly at his intent, piercing look. He walked a few steps closer and knelt in front of her, extending his hands to her. She stared into his eyes, trying to place the sudden, familiar feeling.

"Is your name Margaux?" he asked quietly.

* * *

They'd been separated along the way. The building was a maze of hallways, and they'd lost Matthew and Alfred. They'd converged in a narrow hall, with other passages sprouting off in other directions. It was there that a group of men came dashing from one of the halls, swinging up their guns when they saw the group.

Without even thinking about it, each person had dashed to the hall that had seemed most appealing to them.

Which led to Yao in his current position, alone. His chest ached with worry—for Yong Soo most of all. If he'd followed one of the others, he would be safe, but Yao didn't know. Holding his sword's hilt, he proceeded down the hallway, trying to keep his steps light and listening closely. He paused where the hall turned and leant against the wall, looking out cautiously around the corner.

He pulled back immediately—there was a man in the middle of the hall.

Yao breathed deeply to steady himself, flexed his fingers on his sword hilt. He heard the man shuffle quietly, sigh, and then say, "Kiku, where are you…?"

He nearly dropped his sword. "_Kiku_?"

Within moments, Yao found himself lifting his sword to block the spear swung down at him. He stared into green eyes and a steady face, framed with thick brown hair. "Wait," gasped Yao, "I kn-know Kiku." He pushed against the spear, twisted his wrist, and the man huffed with surprise as he was forced to take a few steps backward.

"Know him?" the man repeated, eyeing him. Then, something dawned on him, his expression clearing, becoming hopeful. "Are you Wang Yao?"

Yao nodded furiously.

"You've come. Kiku said you would," he said.

"I—who _are_ you?" Yao's sword lowered to his side as the man shifted his spear, resting the butt on the floor. "Are you one of those Resistance people?"

"Heracles. I lead them."

"Did you…get separated from them, too?" Heracles' eyes lowered slightly to the floor, which was answer enough. "Come on, we'll find them together. We brought a great magician with us—and faeries. We're here to take down Ivan. The king himself came." Yao fought the urge to add, _'if he hasn't gotten himself killed.'_

"It wasn't hopeless after all," Heracles said with a soft sigh, sounding relieved. "Come then, Wang Yao." He nodded his head slightly at the hallway, indicating where they should go. "We'll work together."  


* * *

"Alfred!" Matthew dashed after his twin as he ran down one of the hallways. "Slow down! Stop just running right into danger!" He sped up and grabbed the back of his brothers' coat, stopping him. He panted for breath. "We've got to wait for everyone!"

"Ehhh?" Alfred's tone was complaining.

"You've probably alerted half this place to us by now," Matthew said, glancing around. He didn't see anyone and frowned slightly—Lars, was he still back there…? Lars had seemed shocked when he saw that woman. Internally, Matthew fretted while externally he kept an eye out for anything, shifting his gun.

"They better hurry up," Alfred said crossly.

The two fell silent, listening. Distantly, they could hear gunshots, but both jumped when they heard a much closer noise. It sounded like quiet sobs. Matthew shushed Alfred and led him down the corridor, leather boots silent on the floor, pausing by the corner. Looking around it, he saw two people—a kneeling man and a woman with blond hair, pointing a gun at him. She was the one who was sobbing.

"I d-do-don't want to do this," she sniffled, "b-but—you've been h-helping them! Th-they want to kill Vanya!"

The kneeling man said nothing, ducking his dark-haired head lower.

"Answer me, Kiku!" she cried, wretchedly. "Why does everyone want to kill him?"

"He is corrupt. He does not tell you, Katyusha, but he is twisted. Do you know what he's been planning?" said the man—Kiku—looking up through hanging bangs of black. Matthew tried to remember where he'd heard the name 'Kiku' before and remembered silver hair and red eyes with the usual blush accompanying it.

"This is so dramatic," Alfred hissed into his ear. "C'mon, let's save him!"

Matthew looked at him over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes.

"V-Vanya is going to take back Talyin from those warlords," Katyusha said firmly, her hands trembling on the gun.

Kiku shook his head slightly and she screwed up her face tearfully. Her fingers moved to the trigger and then Alfred was peeling out from around the corner. Startled by his appearance, the woman spun, and the gun lifted to him. Matthew reached out with a shout, fisting a hand in his brother's collar and yanking him to the side.

While this happened, Kiku surged up from the floor, hand coming in contact with Katyusha's wrist and knocking the gun to the floor. His dark eyes darted over to the two, Alfred kneeling and clutching his arm, Matthew starting to yank off his jacket, eyes worried.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly as Katyusha slumped to the floor, shoulders heaving. He tied her wrists together and deposited her against the wall.

Alfred gritted his teeth in a grin as Matthew tore his sleeve to get at his arm. "I-I'm Alfred—the h-hero and the king of Bavonia." He let out a howl of pain as Matthew's fingers plunged into the wound, yanking out the bullet. "Oh gods—you sunufabitch—_fuck_, that smarts—"

"Idiot," Matthew said, his violet eyes glistening. He wrapped a bandage yanked from his pocket hurriedly around Alfred's arm. "If I hadn't grabbed you, can you imagine…"

"Always looking out for me," Alfred said with a sigh, winced as the bandage was tied.

"Your Majesty," Kiku said. "I-is there a man named Yao with you…?"

"Hm?" Alfred blinked. "Oh, yeah." He turned his head, looking around, frowning when he saw that the four of them were alone in the hallway and none of the others had come. "Where the hell did those guys go, anyway?"

"This is all your fault, Al—we're separated from them now! Come on, get up, we've got to find them."  


* * *

Aksel leant back against the wall with a groan.

"Bastards are sure persistent," he commented to Xiang, who leant against the wall next to him. They'd run down one of the hallways, but the people had pursued them, and—quite frankly—Aksel was sick of running. But, he couldn't be expected to fight with his axe in such a small place, and they had freaking _guns_, so Xiang was having a hard time getting close to screw 'em up with his martial arts.

"I suppose we should've had guns," Xiang said, looking up at him.

"Forget guns—I'm an old-fashioned guy. It's only ever been this axe for me." He patted it fondly.

Xiang smiled slightly. "I don't like guns, either, they make me think of Yailso," he agreed. He cocked his head to the side and heard approaching footsteps, quick and light. "Here they come—wait. That sounds di—"

He cut off as a young woman plunged out from around the corner, her hair streaming, her eyes viciously narrowed. Only Aksel, yanking Xiang against his chest and lifting his axe for defence protected him from the knives, which grated loudly over the blade of the axe before the woman darted backwards.

"What the _hell_?" Aksel exclaimed, lowering the axe. "Whoa!" He ducked under the knife, thrown at his head. Xiang darted out from around him, dodged a knife. "Hey—Xiang!" He dashed towards the young woman, skidding to a halt when she moved towards him and swiped at him with the knives.

"Ngh," Xiang gritted out, bending backwards. He landed on his hands and flipped upright. He stepped to the side to avoid her stabbing towards his midsection with the knives. His hand tensed and shot up, catching her a glancing blow to the side of her head and prompting her to scuffle backwards slightly.

"I'll kill you," she hissed, and Xiang felt a shiver crawl up his spine. It was hard to fight in such a cramped space. He heard Aksel's axe sliding across the floor behind him, but knew the man wouldn't be able to use it without fear of it getting imbedded in the wall or stuck. She lunged forward and Xiang lowered his body to the floor, jerking a hand up in a fist. He gasped as it came in contact with a knife blade and stumbled backwards, the skin cut—not deep, but deep enough so that it bled.

"Bitch," Aksel snarled. Xiang heard a loud thunk but didn't turn to see what he was doing. He grimaced down at his hand as the girl spun the knives between her fingers, eyeing him.

Then, she was moving, and Xiang lashed out with a foot. She lifted her elbow to block it and her other hand moved forward with the knives. His eyes grew wide as the blades neared, but they were blocked, by the flat of an axe blade. Aksel's chest pressed against his back, arm stretching over his shoulder—he'd detached the axe from the long pole it was always on and now held it in front of Xiang protectively.

"I hate using her like this," he complained, voice rasping against Xiang's ear. The girl took a few hasty steps backwards, thinking about what to do next. "Up you go." His free arm looped around Xiang's waist, lifting him effortlessly and Xiang was thrown over one of his broad shoulders.

"What—Aksel!?"

"Can't fight here." Aksel turn and dashed down the corridor, picking up the axe's staff with the same he was holding the axe with. His other was pressed into the small of Xiang's back, and from this angle, Xiang could see her dashing after them, her eyes narrowed with hate.

The hallway widened out into a rounded room, where a golden-eyed man was rising up from a still body. He turned swiftly as they entered, but Aksel didn't pay him much mind, intent on getting far enough that he'd have time to put his axe back together. Xiang wriggled where he was over his shoulder and said, "Here's good!"

Aksel turned around, letting Xiang leap to the floor as the woman burst into the room, spinning her knives. The golden-eyed man looked between them and the young woman. Putting his axe back on the staff, the tall man let out a snarl and grinned savagely. "Come on, then, brat!" he roared, hefting it up. "I can fight you here!"

Xiang lowered himself into a fighting position. The man nearby looked at them thoughtfully, and pulled knives from his own from his jacket. "Another one," Xiang said to Aksel quietly.

"Great. Make it even," Aksel growled. However, the gold-eyed man had turned to face the woman, cocking his head to the side with a piercing look.

"Ivan's sister," he said simply. "I've been looking forward to finding _you_."

"This is our fight!" Aksel bitched, but the man had already darted forward to engage the young woman. He made a face as they began to fight and folded his arm sullenly. Xiang cautiously lifted himself from his fighting position, watching the two fight each other—the young woman was good, but the older man seemed more experienced. "Hey, you alright? You're still bleeding."

Xiang looked down at his hand and, indeed, he still was. "I'll just," he began, reaching in his pocket for bandages, but Aksel had grabbed his wrist. He dumped the water in the canteen at his waist over it and Xiang flinched, but the man had wound his own bandages around it.

"Thank you, Aksel," he said, a bit surprised.

"Don't mention it. C'mon, they're busy. Let's find everyone." Aksel settled his axe across his shoulders and jogged towards another hall leading from the room.  


* * *

"Why am I," puffed Sadiq as he knocked back another person with his swords, "in charge of looking after the useless magical guys?" Arthur, Njáll and Inge stood back from his fighting—he half expected them to conjure a table and a pot of tea. He slammed the pommel of one of his swords into the back of a man's head and they went tumbling to the floor. He observed the still forms around him with satisfaction.

"Can we move on now?" Arthur asked, as though Sadiq was the one to bring all the people there.

"Sure, your highness," Sadiq snorted.

"I feel him," Njáll said suddenly, looking darkly towards one of the halls. Inge stroked his arm soothingly. "He's down there."

"Then, we have to go," Inge said evenly. With that, they were off again.  


* * *

The room was a like a throne room, or something like that. The curtains were drawn over huge windows, casting shadows over the whole room. It was empty, but there was a large chair draped with dark silk on a pedestal. Yao skidded into the room, Heracles at his side, at the same time Aksel and Xiang entered from another passage nearby. He gave them a brief glance and Xiang nodded slightly, looking with confusion at Heracles.

"Leader of the Resistance," Yao explained shortly.

He heard more footsteps, and saw a group of people he didn't recognise. One of them slumped his shoulders in relief, blond hair hanging around his face. "We were, like, worried about you," he called to Heracles, who smiled briefly in reassurance. "Who're these guys?"

"Servants of the king of Bavonia," exclaimed a voice. Matthew led Alfred into the room through another passageway, the king posing proudly as best as he could (one of his arms was bare and bandaged up). Yao didn't notice the small, dark-haired form behind the two of them.

"Who the hell's a servant, you brat?" Sadiq's voice came, and he stalked into the room. Yao watched Arthur, Njáll and Inge emerge behind him, and his heart shot up in his throat.

"Wh-where's Yong Soo?" he asked, heart thudding hard in his throat.

Sadiq paused, looking around. "He wasn't with you?" he asked incredulously. "I thought he—fuck." He swallowed suddenly and wheeled on Inge and Njáll. "Can you tell where he is?"

Inge shut his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, his cool expression was a bit confused. "I can't…feel anything." He frowned, stepping further into the room.

"A-and, what about Lars?" Matthew stepped forward. Yao froze as he saw a familiar face behind the blond man, his eyes widening as they met dark ones.

"He was still with that chick by the entrance, when we left 'im," Sadiq replied. One of the brown-haired women frowned, mumbling, "Margaux," to Heracles, who nodded. Then, Heracles turned, something in his face going soft as he saw something—or someone.

"Kiku?"

The man stepped out from behind the brothers, glancing from Heracles to Yao, who stared at him. Memories welled up; bad and good, but his vision was blocked by Heracles' back as the man stepped forward to pull Kiku tightly into his arms. Yao suddenly realised _who_ had changed Kiku and stared at the two of them with something like disbelief.

"Where's Ivan?" asked one of Heracles' men, blinking bright green eyes. He combed a hand through his slightly curled brown hair. Heracles shook his head, indicating he didn't know, scanning the room around them. Gradually, all the people came into the room and—soon enough—Lars joined them, supporting the woman on his shoulder, looking weary, but glad at the same time. A golden-eyed man followed them, steps quick and light.

"Lars," Matthew said with relief, approaching him. "This is?"

"My sister," Lars said, his face flushed. "Matthew, she's—"

All of them went dead silent as a childish, cheery voice echoed through the room. "It looks like everyone is finally here!" Arthur turned, bristling, then let out a shout of alarm as a strange glyph flared to life under their feet. The violet light played over the face of a man now standing in front of the large chair. He cocked his head to the side, smiling. "We can get started now, yes?"

* * *

**END CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

* * *

There's so many characters to keep track of, ughhh.  
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO YONG SOO? ONLY TIME WILL TELL.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Do do do do~ One more chapter until the story is done.

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

* * *

"Ivan," Arthur growled.

"What the hell is _this_?" exclaimed a young man with freckles across his nose, some of his hair sticking up. He tried to shift, lips pressing together when he found that he couldn't. "I can't move!" Yao attempted to, grimacing when he found he couldn't, fear swirling up in him.

"A trap," Inge said distantly.

Aksel spat out a series of curses angrily. He struggled to move, and Ivan began to laugh, a high-pitched, unnerving sound that made Yao's skin crawl. He would've shrunk back in on himself had he been able, but he found himself locked in place. Not even his fingers could move—his eyes could, though, but they were fixed on the man.

"This worked out so well," he said delightedly, clapping his hands together. "You all came, just as I thought! I am so clever, yes?"

"What," Arthur gritted out, his voice dark and taut with fury, "are you talking about?"

Ivan smiled down at him curiously. "Oh," he chirped, "you're the magician who tried to find me! Arthur, is it?" He sauntered down from the pedestal on the few steps and stood observing the glowing glyph with satisfaction. His boots were just a few inches from it and, no matter how Arthur strained or tried to move, he couldn't get any closer to the man. "I am glad you came—ahh, you can't use your magic now, can you?"

Arthur made a series of furious noises.

"Wh-what?" spluttered Alfred. "You can't? That means we're…stuck? Can you guys—?" His eyes flicked over to the faeries.

"I am sorry," Inge said evenly. There was a small waver in his voice and his eyes seemed wobbly, fixed on Njáll, who stared wordlessly back at him. "But we cannot move, either. This is a seal."

"_Fuck_," the king enunciated. It looked as though his lingering disbelief towards anything supernatural had been effectively eliminated. Being trapped by a magical glowing symbol on the floor had the tendency to dispel disbelief in the supernatural, after all.

"I am glad the king of Bavonia came!" Ivan exclaimed, walking around the edge of the seal towards him. He peered at his face with a pleased expression. "This is so much easier than coming to you, yes? I knew that the silly king would come if he got that letter."

"So, that," gasped the blond man, "Toris, you, like, can't have—" He switched his gaze towards a brown-haired man, beaten and bruised, supported on the shoulders of two others, unmoving like everyone else.

"What kind of person do you think I am, Feliks?" asked Toris hoarsely. Yao recognised him as the injured young man who'd been pursued into his shop and who'd given him the letter. "I'd never do anything to help him…" His throat worked as he swallowed dryly, blinking. The blond's expression softened slightly.

"Sorry."

"I thought, at first, it is bad if king of Bavonia gets letter—he will come with troops to Talyin," Ivan said brightly. "Then, I thought, why sacrifice just villagers when I can sacrifice king and troublesome bugs all at the same time?" His smile widened. "So much easier to let you come to me!"

"Sick son of a bitch," Xiang said, his eyes narrowed into slits. Aksel growled quietly, deep in his throat, next to him.

Yao's eyes were moving, looking for an escape, some sort of weakness. Anything that they could use, but he couldn't even _move_. And worse yet, it looked like Yong Soo had been—

Hold on.

He narrowed his eyes. There was _movement_ in one of the halls leading into the room. He strained to see and froze when he caught sight of a familiar head of dark hair. Brown eyes peered towards him, seemed to brighten as they caught sight of him. Yong Soo's teeth flashed in a grin. _'Oh, thank goodness,'_ Yao thought, staring towards him. He then indicated the glyph below them all with a movement of his eyes. Yong Soo cocked his head to the side, bemusedly, before he nodded and gave a thumbs-up with accompanying grin. _'Damn it, Yong Soo, this isn't a game, take it seriously.'_

"It's time to begin ceremony," Ivan declared. He walked up to the chair and Yong Soo hustled out of the corridor, keeping his feet free of the glyph. He crouched down behind the group and Yao looked down at him. Everyone else kept flicking their gazes him as well, but had the sense not to stare obviously. Ivan began to murmur low in his throat, and the glyph's glow increased in brightness.

"What do I do, brother?" Yong Soo hissed.

"I—Arthur," Yao mumbled. The magician couldn't turn around, but he grunted slightly in acknowledgement to indicate was listening. "Yong Soo's here, he's free."

"Really?" Arthur exclaimed and then quieted his voice. Ivan was undisturbed, however, continuing mumbling. "Just mess up the seal—break it, somehow. They're very particular—it's why I use spells and potions."

Yong Soo looked at the floor doubtfully. "I'm supposed to break the floor?" he asked.

"Come _on_," Yao urged, voice growing a bit shrill with panic as the light from the glyph began to float up around them, flicking and sparking in the air. His skin was tingling uncomfortably and felt uncomfortably warm. Yong Soo looked around before remembering that he had brought a gun, reaching back for it. He paused as he realised that it wasn't there and Yao groaned internally. "Yong Soo, he's going to sacrifice us if you _don't hurry up_!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Yong Soo apologised hastily. He groped in the pack at his hip and dug out a knife. "So, can I just…stab it?"

"Do whatever, you tosser, just hurry the hell up!" Arthur snarled.

Grumbling petulantly at the magician, Yong Soo lifted the knife, bringing it down to bury in the glowing mark of the glyph. Light flared, sputtered around the blade, and then exploded outwards—Ivan cut off from his spell-casting with an alarmed noise and Yao found himself abruptly able to move again. He squinted blindly through the light for Yong Soo, who was making groaning noises, sprawled back on the floor, the knife smoking slightly in his hand.

Ivan let out a noise of fury, both of his hands lifting. Dark energy crackled around them, and his eyes were narrowed and glowing. It was, to be quite honest, the scariest freaking thing Yao had ever seen. Arthur moved, however, just as he shot the energy down at them, lifting his own hands. Green light flared in front of his palms, grew wider, into a spherical shape, the dark violet energy spraying around it without touching it.

Alfred stared and then raised his voice. "C-_cool_! That's so _cool, Arthur!"_ he cheered, pumping his good hand into the air.

Arthur gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the magic. Ivan's snarl turned into a smile as he took a step forward and the blond man's knees buckled a bit. Then, Inge and Njáll were there, the former placing a hand over one of Arthur's, the energy coming from that palm going from green to pale teal. Njáll placed his hand over Arthur's other one with a solemn expression, and the green brightened and went considerably paler.

A smirk rose to Arthur's face as Ivan's knees buckled slightly from the sudden increase in the blond magician's energy. Ivan gasped a bit for breath, taking a step backwards as the light magic bore towards him.

Aksel was bouncing back and forth between his feet, lifting his axe. "Can I just go for him?" he questioned Xiang.

"I don't know," answered the boy. "I don't think it would be wise, magic and all."

Heracles gripped Kiku's arm, tugging him out of the way of the magic as little sparks of it flew everywhere. Kiku's eyes moved, automatically searching out Yao. He was kneeling by Yong Soo, who was whining a bit and clutching at his waist, nuzzling his head against his stomach. "I'm huuurt, brother," he was simpering, "I need a kiss to make it all better." He stared upwards imploringly and Yao let out a 'tsk'.

"You were very brave," Yao said reluctantly. Yong Soo practically glowed.

"Yeah! It's 'cause I invented bravery. Now, kiss?" He puckered his lips.

"I thought you were supposed to kiss the place that was hurt, not the mouth," Yao said, raising an eyebrow. Yong Soo made a dismissive noise.

"You don't have to be a stickler for tradition—you're being an old man!" he replied, scoffing slightly. Yao looked at him with annoyance (he couldn't be hurt that much at all if he was still acting like that). "C'mon!" After a moment, giving in, Yao leant down, their noses bumping briefly before he found his lips with his own and captured them in a kiss. He balked a bit when Yong Soo proceeded to grope at his chest shamelessly with one hand, provoking a squawk of protest.

Pulling away, Yao frowned down at a stupidly grinning Yong Soo before looking over. Arthur was walking forward, smirking confidently as Ivan staggered backwards. "What now, Ivan?" he crowed as the faeries walked with him, their eyes glowing brightly. Ivan didn't answer, gasping for breath.

A commotion near the back of the room had Yao turning his head slightly. A pale-haired woman and a battered-looking long-haired girl had entered, staring towards Ivan. "Vanya!" cried the woman. Ivan's expression faltered and he turned his gaze slowly to the two of them.

"Katyu—" he began, and then the magic engulfed him.

* * *

They didn't kill him—Arthur wrapped him in a type of 'sealing rope' and they had a grudging Sadiq and equally grumpy (from not fighting enough, they figured) Aksel tote him back to the ship to be brought to Bavonia. The two women (his sisters) were brought along, as well, surprisingly docile.

Both Francis and Lovino seemed quite surprised when a crowd of weary Resistance members trudged onto the ship, but the former took it in stride while the latter complained (loudly, and with a lot of swearing). Eventually he shut up, because one of the Resistance members—a cheery man with brown hair—took quite a shine to him and proceeded to thank him and compliment him and this pleased Lovino so much that he was only mildly grumpy for the remainder of the trip.

When everyone had gathered on the ship, Alfred proceeded to proclaim—loudly—that he'd help Talyin and become an even better king. He'd help get rid of 'those douchey warlords and appoint a proper leader!' to weary praise from the Resistance. Accompanying this, he told Matthew that he'd be going to help a lot of the other countries and ask for their help in return, and hoped he could count on him in the future. Matthew told him that if Alfred didn't ask him for help, he'd be worried.

That evening, when the Resistance members had all been settled into cabins (it was now understandably crowded), Yao stood on the deck, arms resting on the railing. He watched the water, his gaze faraway.

"Ah…Y…Yao?"

His shoulders jumped slightly at the familiar voice. He turned slightly, back leaning against the rail, the wind tugging at his ponytail, tossing it behind him. "Long time no see, Kiku," he said as he gazed at the man (when had he gotten so big? It really had been a long time, hadn't it?).

They looked at one another for a few stretching moments before Kiku abruptly lowered himself to his knees, hands resting in front of him. Yao straightened up slightly with alarm as the younger man proceeded to lower his head to the deck. "I am sorry," were the slightly muted words. "I was stupid and foolish and I know you cannot forgive my actions, but I must apologise to you regardless. I understand you now—how you thought, and I…"

"Isn't it fine?" Yao asked, looking down at him. "I forgave you a long time ago—you were just a kid, after all." He knelt down by him. "Don't bow like that."

"You can't use my age to excuse me!" Kiku replied stubbornly, head pressing against the deck.

Yao laughed a bit. "Alright, then, how about this? I forgive you because you've thought about it, because you've beaten yourself up over it, because you've apologised to me and you understand now how I thought then and still think. I forgive you because you've learned to help people." He placed a hand on the lowered head, ruffling dark hair lightly with his fingers. "After all, aren't we still family? That's what family does."

Slowly, carefully—as though he'd withdraw the forgiveness—Kiku lifted his head and looked up at him. "Are you certain?" he asked, voice wavering.

"Of course." Yao reached forward and pulled him suddenly into his arms. Kiku went stiff for a moment before he allowed himself to relax and grip the back of the older man's shirt tightly with his fingers, face burying in his shoulder. "It's okay." He stroked Kiku's hair lightly.

"AHHH—BROTHER!"

Barely given any time to process the sudden shout, Yao was being yanked backwards by hands hidden in oversized sleeves. "Yong Soo—!?" he spluttered in surprise. Looking over, he saw Kiku had been tugged tightly into Heracles' arms, the brown-haired man's steady face having a pinched quality between his eyebrows. His eyes were shut tight as he held the smaller man against his chest.

"I'm sorry," Heracles mumbled quietly as Kiku stared up at him bemusedly, "but I'm easily jealous. Even if Wang Yao is your brother." His tone of voice sounded slightly sulky.

Kiku didn't laugh, but he was sorely tempted. He reached up instead, fingers touching the brown hair reassuringly. Heracles' grip tightened slightly.

Yong Soo was making incoherent noises into Yao's shoulder, clutching at him. "Don't become his partner again!" he wailed, voice muffled by the fabric. "I won't let you! I'll take care of you—I'll get three jobs and support you as you take care of the house and our children!"

"I can't have children—I'm not a _woman_!" Yao said indignantly.

"We can adopt!" Yong Soo exclaimed and lifted his face, his nose dripping, eyes teary and cheeks flushed. "Just don't leave me, okay, Yao?"

"Aiyah," Yao sighed. He fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and proceeded to wipe Yong Soo's face with it, his fingers combing sticking strands of dark hair away from his eyes. "How could I ever leave you alone? You'd never be able to manage on your own—you're so hopeless." This time it was Yong Soo's turn to open his mouth to start saying something indignantly. "And, I love you for it anyway. I'm not going to be a bounty hunter again."

Yong Soo's eyes were suddenly bright. "Really?" He clutched Yao closer.

"Really. Jeez, how could I just leave my shop?" Yao mumbled, looking to the side.

"Not that!" Yong Soo said, peppering kisses across his cheeks. The older man spluttered, reddening, but when he looked over, he didn't see anyone—Heracles had already tugged Kiku away. "You said you loved me!" He beamed at Yao and kissed his mouth firmly. "That means we can do it now, right?"

"_Is that the only thing on your mind!?"_

_

* * *

_**END CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

* * *

In the end, Korea is still Korea, after all.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

I think you can watch for me adding additional little shorts on after this—the world I've made is vast and ready for exploration, after all. To look more at each character and what happened to them (both before and after) would be interesting, yeah?

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

* * *

Yong Soo had begun to _pester_ him. Cornering him in deserted areas, insisting and saying that 'since we love each other so much, we should do it now'! Not just sometimes—whenever he had the opportunity! In the cabin when Xiang and Aksel weren't around, on the deck when there wasn't anyone nearby, in the dining cabin after dinner was through—really, he was just getting too insistent! This needed to be taken care of, and quickly, because Yao was beginning to get migraines from the whole thing.

When Yong Soo practically melted out of thin air (apparently harnessing one of the tricks Matthew had) in the hall on the way up to the deck, Yao jumped. Muscular arms swept around his waist, yanking him back against a broad chest as a face nuzzled into his neck. "Brother," he began in a wheedling tone, his teeth scraping slightly over skin. It caused a shiver before the older man steeled himself.

"Now, you listen to _me_!" Yao whipped around to face him, jabbing his index finger against that (really quite nice, really) chest. "I'm not going to do it with you on a _ship_!" He narrowed his eyes up at the younger man, who blinked, seeming confused that he was so worked up.

"Why not?"

"Because! It's a _ship_! If I wanted to do it somewhere, I'd like it to be some place with a little more _dignity_!"

Yong Soo goggled at him, his brown eyes slightly widened, and Yao blinked cautiously, raising his eyebrows questioningly. "So, if it's romantic, it'd be fine?" he asked enthusiastically, leaning in very close. Yao frowned slightly at him, wondering if he only ever heard things he wanted to hear.

"I said somewhere with dignity," he merely said.

"Okay!" Yong Soo's chest seemed to swell with the force of his excitement, his grin enormous. "I'll get the best, most perfect place _ever_ when we get back, brother! So, until then, you just restrain yourself, alright?" He beamed down at him, as if Yao had been the one all over _him_ all this time and got a half annoyed, half affectionate glare.

* * *

Alfred thankfully descended the plank onto the Eirske docks, breathing in the salty air. He blinked brightly behind his glasses, avoiding shifting his arm (bandaged and hanging in a sling in front of his chest). He'd asked Arthur to heal him but—in the magician's words—he deserved that injury and if Arthur healed him then he wouldn't learn anything from it.

'_I shouldn't reinstate him like I was thinking about,' _he thought, resisting the urge to pout as his arm panged. He turned to watch his brother step lightly down the plank, Lars close at his side with a hand lingering at his waist, and his sister Margaux on his other side, an amused smile hanging on her lips. Alfred grumbled internally—he didn't like Lars, and he didn't like the fact that he was with his brother, but—

"_YOUR MAJESTY!"_

Jumping with surprise, Alfred turned his head and went pale.

There, storming down the dock towards him, was Roderich. Angry red spots had bloomed in his cheeks and his eyes were furiously narrowed behind his glasses. Alfred was pretty sure that he could hear his advisor grinding his teeth (with a backdrop of sinister piano music that just promised his doom) and took an involuntary step backwards. Behind him, he heard Lars snicker and resolved to get back at the bastard.

"Ro-Roderich," Alfred spluttered. "Uh, you wouldn't hit me, right? I'm injured—"

Roderich came to a halt before him, the red spreading in an angry flush over his cheeks, a funny look in his eyes. His hands lifted and Alfred squeezed his eyes shut in expectation for the pain, but he found himself being drawn down by arms about his shoulders instead. His nose pressed into the stiff, white collar of the advisor's shirt, dark hair tickling his nose, glasses digging into the bridge of his nose.

"You dare—if you _dare_ do _anything_ as foolish and idiotic as that ever again, I will find a loophole in the system and I _will_ find a way to get you removed as king!" Roderich said furiously. His voice was very close to Alfred's ear and, for a reason the king wasn't sure of, he felt his face growing very hot.

"U-uh."

Matthew snorted when Roderich released his brother, watching amusedly as Alfred began to splutter and bluster, red-face and seeming confused why he was as such. Roderich was frowning at him, just as puzzled, raising his eyebrows at the king's inability to speak properly. "That should keep him busy for a while," he told Lars, leaning into the arm that slid warmly around his shoulders.

Lars pressed a kiss against his temple, smiling. "Good. I don't need for us to be bothered by your crazy brother." He slid a hand down into Matthew's, squeezed it gently. "It's been a while since we've had alone time, you know…"

"Hi, still here," Margaux said, waving her hand slightly to get their attention, as they'd started looking at each other in a thoroughly moonstruck fashion.

"Oh yeah. You are." Lars looked down at her, blinking.

"Hey—that isn't very nice," she exclaimed, planting her fists on her hips. "You found your long-lost sister, and you aren't even thinking about spending time with her? You're more concerned with getting laid!"

"Right now," Lars admitted and Matthew flushed slightly.

"_Honestly_. We've still got to find our baby brother, you know," Margaux said, waggling a finger sternly. Lars looked thoughtful, nodding slightly. "So, don't get your hopes up about sleeping with blondie here. We've got more important things that need to be done."

Lars groaned.

* * *

_Candles_. Yao knew he'd requested somewhere proper to do…_that_, but he hadn't expected _candles_. They lit up the guest room in the palace (they were staying there for a day or two to rest up before heading back to Heldere) in a soft golden glow, the curtains drawn shut over the broad windows. Yong Soo was grinning enormously as he stepped forward into the room, sweeping his arm in a wide arc.

"Isn't it great?" he exclaimed. "I told you I'd find the perfect place!"

"It's something." Yao shut the door behind him absently as he stepped inside. As soon as it clicked shut, however, Yong Soo was unbuttoning his blue vest, grinning over at him where he stood by the edge of the bed. The dark-haired man felt his cheeks growing hot. "Wh-what are you _doing_?"

"Getting undressed." Yong Soo treated him to a confused look as he tugged the loose blue vest over his head, leaving his billowy, loose-sleeved white shirt on.

"B-but—"

Yong Soo stepped forward and placed his broad palms on Yao's chest, stroking with his fingertips, the grin hanging on his lips, his eyes gleaming. The elder man twitched slightly in surprise, but then his eyes were sliding shut as those lips moved to the side of his neck. He resisted the urge to swallow as he felt the buttons to the shirt popping open, exposing his skin to the cooler air of the room. A hand wandered inside his shirt, palm flattening over his chest, and the rough skin was warm and the touch not exactly unwelcome.

"Ah." Yao tilted his head back slightly as teeth nibbled their way up his neck, hair brushing against his cheeks.

Yong Soo finished undoing the last of his shirt's buttons and pushed it off over his shoulders, palms stroking down his arms warmly. "Brother…" His mouth found Yao's ear, tongue brushing it experimentally, eliciting a surprised twitch and an appreciative noise. "Yao…" He put his hands on his hips, urging him backwards, and Yao let him, sinking down onto the bed and edging back.

Excitedly, with shining eyes and his cheeks slightly flushed, Yong Soo fumbled with the buttons to his shirt, sinking onto his knees on the bed in front of the other man. Yao watched with a touch of impatience and mostly amusement as Yong Soo's fingers scrabbled clumsily at the buttons. Eventually, he leaned forward.

"Let me." He kissed Yong Soo's cheek, receiving a delighted look, and undid his shirt for him, pushing it over his broad shoulders. Yao stared a little, reached out his hand hesitantly to run his fingers down his chest to his stomach. Yong Soo moved suddenly, throwing his arms around him and they both fell back on the mattress, Yao letting out an indignant "oof" at the sudden weight. "Hey—! Yong Soo!"

He was met with a beaming face as Yong Soo kissed him soundly on the mouth. The mouth softened against his after a moment and Yao met the probing tongue with his own, his fingers tangling in short, dark hair. He wasn't sure how he did it, but soon enough Yong Soo had divested him of his trousers and boots (the latter he'd paid special reverence to removing, fingers running along the arches of his feet and in swirling movements up his ankles and calves). Yao shifted slightly, watching with half-closed eyes as the younger man pushed off the rest of his clothes.

"Okay," he said, looking at Yao expectantly. "I—so, what now?"

Yao sat up, blinking incredulously at him as he rested on his hands. "You don't…you don't know what to do?"

Brown eyes darted from side to side—was Yong Soo _embarrassed_? "I haven't done this before," he said at last, puffing himself up. "Not everyone can be experienced like you, brother." This earned a groan and Yao fell back on the bed, slapping a hand against his forehead.

"I'm not experienced," he complained. "Why do you think I've done this?"

"_EH? _You haven't!?"

Yao pressed his hands over his face, his cheeks burning under his palms. He refused to open his eyes, feeling like less of a man. "No, I haven't. I know the basics of what you do, but I've never—"

He was suddenly trapped under a heavy, warm body that laid enthusiastic kisses down the front of his chest. He yelped in surprise and moved his hands, looking down at Yong Soo, who was grinning enormously as he swiped his tongue across Yao's ribs, provoking a squeaky noise and a wriggle. "Okay!" he breathed, happily. "You just tell me what I need to do, and I'll do my best!"

When Yao told him exactly _what_ this entailed, Yong Soo looked at him with sympathy.

"Don't look at me like that, I'll be fine," Yao grumbled lightly and shifted back on the bed. He got another pitying glance, but Yong Soo was moving downwards then, brushing kisses across his stomach and Yao sighed, fingers knotting in his hair. Eventually, that mouth found his cock and his fingers tightened, sighs dissolving into tight groans he tried to muffle behind one of his arms.

The damp fingers that wriggled their way into him brought a foreign feeling and discomfort, Yao's teeth closing on his arm to keep himself quiet, his eyes screwed up shut. Yong Soo darted glances up at him, and began to clumsily apply tongue and suction to distract the man, who relaxed and groaned and those fingers prodded deeper, explorative.

"Yong Soo," he gasped out, tugging his hair with one hand. "That's—you can—" Before he can finish, Yong Soo was on top of him and pressing into him, his eyes dark and hooded. His arms pressed into the mattress to either side of Yao's head and he watched his face with an unnerving focus.

The room had gotten too hot too fast as Yong Soo began to move his hips when he was encouraged. Yao clutched at his shoulders, dragged blunt nails across his back, gasped and could only move with him. He was hazily aware of Yong Soo murmuring his name over and over again into the skin of his neck.

It seems to be over far too soon, and Yao was left panting and curling into the warm arms that wrapped tightly around him.

* * *

Home—he didn't realise how much he'd missed Ganmu. His shop still stood, the same as before (though the grass had gotten too long) and they'd only stopped at Dorado for a night on their way home. Yong Soo had collected all his things, deciding on his own that he was going to live with Yao from now on—of course, Yao extended an invitation to Xiang, who merely smiled at him and ignored Yong Soo's whining. Aksel had accompanied them as well, having no other place to go, but he merely grinned and shook his head as Yao proposed the same invitation to him.

The day back, Yao went about repairing his front door with Aksel's assistance. Yong Soo, apparently taking it upon himself, began to do up invitations for a 'victory' party.

"Since we kicked ass," Yong Soo said casually and Yao berated him for the language as well as just deciding on his own that he'd have a party.

But, he thought afterwards, a party wouldn't be so bad.

It'd been a while since he had cooked for guests, after all.

* * *

A shadow fell across Aksel's face and he opened his eyes slightly, gazing upwards. Xiang looked back at him, his shaggy hair hanging in his eyes as usual, and the effect was quite striking from this angle with the sun behind the boy's back, making everything about him seem sharp and darker than usual. A grin curved the blond man's lips and he shifted his arms behind his head slightly, tilting his head back expectantly, knowing Xiang most likely had something to say. He didn't simply come outside and stand over him for no reason, after all. "Take a seat."

The younger man did so, folding his legs neatly as he sank down onto the grass alongside Aksel, palms resting on the ground to either side of his hips. The fragrant smell of food drifted outside to them. They were silent for a few minutes, listening to the distant calls of birds and the low buzz of insects and (less evident) the chatter inside the house. The smell of food and summer mingled in the air, a breeze stirring Xiang's bangs, drawing a half-lidded blue gaze to the movement as it cast shadows across his face.

"What are you going to do from here on out?" Xiang asked him sombrely, turning his head to look down at him. "Since King Alfred had your name cleared from the list of bounties."

Aksel let his eyelids fall shut over his eyes, grin still hanging on his lips. "Who knows," he said. "What about you? Are you going to stay here with those lovebirds?" He indicated the house with a lazy wave of his gloved hand.

"Hm. Yong Soo would make a fuss if I stayed." Xiang looked thoughtfully towards the front door.

Silence fell between them once more. It was comfortable.

Then, Aksel lifted his hand, tugging off his glove with his teeth, shoving it into his pocket. That done, he lowered his large, calloused palm over Xiang's, squeezing it slightly. Xiang turned his hand over without a word and their palms pressed together, fingers entangling after a moment. "I'm gonna go travelling," Aksel murmured. "You said you haven't been many places, right?"

"Yes."

"Then, come with me." Aksel grinned up at him, squeezed his hand again. "We'd make quite a pair."

A small, rare smile turned up the corners of Xiang's mouth. It softened the whole of his face and he nodded his head briefly. "Yes," he answered as their grip on each others' hands tightened. This earned him a soft chuckle and Aksel's blue eyes seemed to tunnel in on his.

"Hey. Kiss me."

A pause, then, "Yes."

* * *

They'd finally stepped away from the clamour of their humble 'victory party'. Sadiq had been challenging Lars and Matthew all afternoon to a drinking contest, while Francis seemed intent on learning every single aspect of his cousin's love life. Margaux had been teasing her brother all afternoon, playing around with Matthew, who'd blushed more times than that day than he was sure he had in his entire _life_. Now, they stood away from the ruckus, shadowed by one of the expansive trees that grew by Yao's home, their foreheads leaning together lightly.

"Wonder what we should do about Margaux," Matthew murmured as Lars leaned in, one hand cradling the back of his head, fingers sliding into his wavy hair.

"Let's forget about her for now," Lars replied, nuzzling his cheek, kissing both in turn. He leaned in for a proper kiss, his eyes closing, but suddenly found his arms empty and rather cool, his mouth meeting something feathery. His eyes snapped open and he jerked back quickly from the fluffy yellow chick that his mouth had come in contact with. "What the _hell_!?"

Gilbert grinned smugly, pulling his pet back to his chest. The bird cheeped and ruffled its feathers, giving Lars an affronted look (though how it could look affronted, he had no idea). His other arm was around Matthew's chest, and the blond had gone bright red.

"When did _you_ get here?" Lars spluttered, wiping feathers off his mouth.

"I've been here for a while," Gilbert answered, all of his teeth flashing in an arrogant grin. "Too bad for you that I'm the best at finding snarky little blonds." He nuzzled against Matthew's hair, eliciting a noise of protest and an angry growl from Lars. "Hey, did you forget my _payment_? I'm collecting now." He smirked. "So I'll be taking Matthew for tonight—you get him back tomorrow afternoon."

"You bastard! We didn't all agree on that!" Lars roared. "Just that idiot kid agreed!"

"Too bad. Deal's a deal, no matter who agrees," Gilbert crowed. He shifted and wrapped his arm around Matthew's waist casually, provoking a series of embarrassed stutters and noises. Lars balled his hands into fists and the pale man raised his eyebrows challengingly, meeting Lars' gaze evenly.

They stared at one another, sparks almost visible crackling between them, before Lars released a heavy breath of defeat. "Sorry, Matt," he apologised to the blond, who sighed.

"I know. I'll survive," he said glumly. Gilbert snorted at him and then grinned, pleased that he'd gotten his way.

"Pancakes!" Gilbert cheered, tugging on Matthew slightly. "I want them for all three meals! And you've gotta clean all my clothes—there's a nice pile waiting for you! And wait until you see the _dust_." He sound elated and Matthew slumped his shoulders, unenthusiastically visualising the mess waiting for him and how worn out he'd be afterwards.

Lars looked torn between trying to wrestle Matthew away from him by knocking out Gilbert and just being thoroughly, grudgingly sympathetic. He eventually decided on the latter, safer option. "You'd better bring him straight back to me tomorrow," he told Gilbert firmly, narrowing his eyes. "And I'll know if you do anything to him."

Gilbert raised an eyebrow with a grin. "What, you mean like this?" His teeth closed on Matthew's ear in a light nip.

"_Just like that__, you son of a bitch! Keep your hands and your mouth to yourself!"_ Lars snarled.

Snickering, Gilbert nosed his face into the nape of Matthew's neck. The latter looked exasperated, annoyed and embarrassed all rolled up into one. "I'll do whatever I want," he said tauntingly. Then, he was lifting Matthew effortlessly over one shoulder and pelting away, Lars storming after him.

* * *

"The hell's this?" Sadiq peered suspiciously down into the glass offered to him by the blond faerie. Inge lifted his chin slightly, his expression almost prim. The older bounty hunter was free of his mask today, and his dark, rough skin seemed a curiosity to Njáll, who kept cocking his head, looking at him from all angles.

"Faerie wine. Please, go ahead."

"I don't trust you," Sadiq answered, looking down into the cup. The liquid seemed to be shifting colours and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Ain't you _not_ supposed to drink or eat faerie drink or food anyway?" Inge and Njáll looked at each other, the former's expression almost disappointed. "Hey! I'm right, ain't I? You brats were tryin' to trick me into becoming some kinda…kinda…"

"Faerie?" Njáll said helpfully. Sadiq glowered at them both.

"I don't wanna be part of some ménage a trois, so screw off," Sadiq said, pushing the cup away and jabbing a finger towards the two.

Inge seemed a bit offended. "I would never share Njáll with you," he said, pulling the boy into his arms. This elicited a sigh and a slight rolling of Njáll's eyes, though he didn't struggle to pull away. Inge nuzzled his hair, ignoring his apparent exasperation in favour of pressing a kiss against the pale curve of his neck. "We're just two of the few faerie folk left around here, so we thought it might be prudent to make a few others."

Sadiq growled and grumbled at him. "I don't want any part of it."

Francis snorted from where he was sitting, hiding his grin behind his own glass of wine—normal, human wine, that was. "I think it would suit you," he laughed. Sadiq glowered over at him.

"Hey, I ain't the one runnin' a brothel, so fuck off, I'm not being a faerie—why don't you, huh?" Sadiq said, folding his arms over his broad chest.

"Sorry, I'm too busy running a brothel," Francis replied casually.

* * *

"It's good to hear that Alfred reinstated you," Heracles said to Arthur as the two ate the food Yao had brought over (trying to pry a Yong Soo-turned-leech off of his person at the same time). They'd hit it off on the boat ride back and had shared many stories along the way. Kiku sipped delicately from his cup of tea, sighing in enjoyment before helping himself to some more pieces of food.

"That brat has finally learned to appreciate my magic," Arthur said, seeming pleased with himself. Then, his smile faded into a frown between puzzlement and annoyance. "He's been pestering me about love spells lately, though."

"Love spells," echoed Kiku, thinking of the too boisterous king. "Really?"

"Really," grumbled Arthur. "I fear for whomever he wants to use them on."

Heracles paused briefly. "You didn't give him any, did you?" he questioned, lowering some meat away from his mouth. Arthur's glance darted to the side. "…did you?"

"Well, you know how it is sometimes," Arthur said enigmatically. "Reminds me of my young days…trying to put a love spell on the person whom I was interested in, cursing those who I hate…" His gaze drifted over to Francis, lip curling disgustedly as he saw the man carrying on, slapping Inge's back (which earned him a slightly annoyed look from the faerie). "All of that. I couldn't say no."

Heracles and Kiku exchanged a look. "Well, I hope it won't go too badly," said the smaller man, sipping from his cup.

"Oh, it was just a mild one," Arthur said, as if that made it all better. "The most the other person will feel is a bit more affection and less inhibition when it comes to touching him."

"Again, I hope it won't go badly." Kiku sighed a bit, feeling sorry for the person who had captured Alfred's interests. Love spells—Alfred must have thought he had no chance.

* * *

Yao paused where he stood, finished the cooking and wiping his palms off on his apron. He cast his gaze around the lawn, taking in the sights of the people—his friends—eating and talking and laughing with one another. He didn't bother to fight a smile and sunk back into arms that looped around his middle from behind, a soft cheek rubbing lightly, affectionately, against his own. "What're you thinking about, brother?" Yong Soo asked, kissing at the corner of his eye. Yao could feel his smile.

"Nothing much." He laid his hands over the ones crossed over his stomach. "I'm just happy."

Yong Soo squeezed him with a pleased little sound. "Then, to make you even happier," he said, his tone jovial, "we should get married."

Yao blinked slightly, leaned his head back against a broad shoulder so he could look at Yong Soo's face, his shining eyes and that curl that always stuck off of his hair. "Don't push your luck," he said sternly and Yong Soo began to whine and ask petulantly _'why not?'_ and _'I can take care of a family, really, I'd be the best husband _ever_~!'_

While he did that, Yao laughed quietly to himself and looked up towards the clear blue sky. Troubles were just starting, troubles were always going on in the world and probably always would, but here, in this place—_'my home'_—he was content.

* * *

**…AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER**

* * *

And that's our conclusion of the main story, folks. Yes, you did see Austria/America in there (I'm not sorry).  
Thanks for reading this, commenting, favourite-ing or subscribing, and I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.


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